Tiffany Revelle — Record-Bee staff
NAPA COUNTY — A head-on collision killed two, severely injured three others and shut down State Route 29 for more than two hours early Friday morning just outside the Lake County border.
A green Dodge van and white Toyota Corolla collided at 6:12 a.m., according to an online California Highway Patrol log. Ambulances responded to the scene on SR 29 just south of Heitz Way, between Napa and Calistoga.
For reasons still under investigation, Osvaldo Jimenez Canales, 26 of Calistoga, was driving the van headed north in the southbound lane of SR 29. A CHP report said he was traveling the speed limit. He was flown by REACH to Santa Rosa Memorial with major injuries.
Two of the four men headed south in the Corolla were killed instantly, the driver and left rear passenger. The other two were taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa with major injuries.
“It doesn”t look like either party took evasive action prior to the collision,” said Officer Jaret Paulson of the Napa CHP, who was on scene early Friday. Paulson said CHP officers were en route to the two hospitals to interview the survivors.
The Napa CHP issued a Sig-alert at 6:23 and closed SR 29, rerouting traffic to Silverado Trail while the cause of the accident was investigated.
The highway was reopened to traffic just before 9 a.m. and the Sig-alert canceled shortly thereafter. Authorities were still on scene as of 10 a.m.
No further information was available.
Any witnesses to the traffic collision are asked to contact Napa CHP at 253-4906. Officer Randall Wayne is investigating the crash.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
