The Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue (TMFPD) community is mourning the tragic loss of one of its battalion chiefs and his wife, who were killed in a single-vehicle crash last weekend, as a community-wide support fund is launched for their two young, surviving children who remain hospitalized. The victims of the December 7 crash were identified Wednesday by the El Dorado County Sheriffโs Office Coroner Division as Battalion Chief Ryan Paul Rizzuto, 42, and his wife, Danielle Marie Rizzuto, 41, both of Reno.
The couple died when their Chevrolet pickup truck veered off Highway 50 in Kyburz, California, and slammed into a tree. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) indicated that the vehicle was traveling at what investigators believe was an unsafe speed, though they do not suspect impairment played a role. The coupleโs 8-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter were also in the vehicle and were airlifted to a Reno hospital with serious injuries. The TMFPD released a statement saying the agency is โdeeply saddenedโ and grieving the unexpected loss of one of its own.
In response to the family’s profound tragedy, the Truckee Meadows Firefighter Foundation has quickly established the Rizzuto Childrenโs Support Fund to ensure the long-term care and stability of the two siblings.
