Young officer began with Sheriff’s Office Explorer Post, hoped to advance through ranks
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of Correctional Officer Ryan Marietti, a young member of the department who was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 50 near Strawberry early Friday morning.
Marietti was involved in the crash during the early morning hours of Aug. 28, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. The department announced his death Saturday, describing him as a valued member of both the Sheriff’s Office family and the community he served.
“It is with profound sadness that the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office informs our community of the loss of Correctional Officer Ryan Marietti,” the department said in announcing his death.
The crash occurred along Highway 50 near Strawberry. According to California Highway Patrol incident information, authorities received a report of a vehicle off the roadway shortly before 5 a.m. Friday. Emergency personnel searched the area before the vehicle was located down a steep embankment later that morning.
The vehicle had traveled approximately 70 feet down the embankment and sustained extensive rollover damage, according to CHP incident information. Emergency crews, law enforcement and recovery personnel responded to the scene, with traffic along Highway 50 temporarily affected during the response.
Marietti began his career with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office in December 2024, serving as a correctional officer at both the Placerville and South Lake Tahoe jails.
“Among his many attributes, Ryan demonstrated a strong work ethic, professionalism, and a genuine desire to grow within the Sheriff’s Office,” the department said. “He had set his sights on advancing through the ranks and building a career in service to our community.”
His connection to the Sheriff’s Office began before he became an employee.
Prior to joining the department professionally, Marietti was a member of El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Post 457, a program that introduces young people to careers and service in law enforcement. He excelled in the program and represented the post as a member of its competition team, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Marietti was also a 2023 graduate of Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs.
The Sheriff’s Office said his loss is being felt throughout the agency and the community where he had chosen to build his career.
“Ryan will be greatly missed—not only by his family and friends, but by his EDSO family and the community he proudly chose to serve,” the department said.
The agency closed its announcement with a tribute to the young correctional officer and his badge number.
“Ryan Marietti, J2258, always speak his name.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
