The Orangevale man killed Wednesday night in a head-on collision with a wrong-way driver on Highway 50 has been identified as Bruce Michael Bone, 41, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department. An El Dorado County sheriff's deputy saw Ghersanich's Toyota SUV traveling east in the westbound lanes, but was unable to prevent the head-on crash, according to CHP spokesman Dan Stark.The California Highway Patrol said that Theresa Ghersanich, 55, of Placerville, was driving her sport-utility vehicle eastbound in the westbound lanes when she collided with a Honda Acord driven by Bone.
Bone died at the scene of the 11 p.m. collision on westbound Highway 50 west of Red Hawk Parkway. Ghersanich suffered major injuries and was taken by helicopter to a hospital. She was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, the CHP said.
Karen Hudson, a close friend of Ghersanich, expressed shock.
"She's never even had a misdemeanor. She's a very sweet person and her taking someone else's life will devastate her for the rest of her life," Hudson said.
Hudson added Ghersanich and her husband were not big drinkers. She said Ghersanich was a real estate agent with Cook Realty but had recently been cleaning houses to make ends meet.
