Clearlake Oaks resident Sally A. Waddell, 51, was killed in a traffic collision at approximately 8:43 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, on State Route 29 north of Diener Road. The highway was closed for two hours with traffic diverted to a detour.
Clear Lake area California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Barnes, who was transporting an arrestee to the Lake County jail, came across the fatal collision. As he was traveling northbound on State Route 29, Barnes observed vehicles blocking the roadway and advised dispatch that he was at the scene of a traffic collision.
According to the Clear Lake area CHP, Waddell had been driving a Hyundai Accent northbound on State Route 29. For an unknown reason, the Hyundai swerved across the double yellow line and collided head-on with a south-bound 1998 Chevy 2500, driven by Tina Hendry,43, of Sonoma.
A third, unidentified vehicle had been following the Chevy. The occupant of the unidentified vehicle narrowly avoided the collision by evasively driving the vehicle into a ditch.
SR-29 was closed for approximately two hours for scene investigation. The Lake County Sheriff”s Office assisted at the scene with traffic control and duties as coroner.
