After a quiet start to the winter, the county notched its third traffic fatality in three weeks Friday afternoon near Pine Grove.

The victim was identified by the California Highway Patrol as Ronald Ceballos, 58, of Pine Grove. The CHP is still investigating the cause of the accident. According to their initial report, Ceballos was traveling westbound on Highway 88 west of Toyon Road in a 1999 Cadillac when, for unknown reasons, he left the north side of the road and slammed into an oak tree. Ceballos was partially ejected from his vehicle as a result and sustained fatal injuries.

Witnesses said the driver stopped well before the line of a stop light before accelerating down the road coming out of Pine Grove. "He never hit the brakes," said one witness.

There were no skid marks at the accident scene.

After hitting the tree, fuel from the car ignited and started a fire. Emergency personnel scrambled to put out the fire and get to the driver, while the car was perched precariously on the hillside. In the end, Ceballos was pronounced dead at the scene due to numerous injuries sustained from the impact of the crash.