Denise Rockenstein — Staff reporter
GLENHAVEN — California Highway Patrol advised of a head-on vehicle collision at approximately 8:44 a.m. on Highway 20 near Glenhaven between Mitchell Road and Henderson Drive Tuesday requesting medical response from Northshore Fire Protection District (NFPD). The crash resulted with one vehicle in the lake.
“We had a Hazmat team out there for gas in the lake,” NFPD Battalion Chief Pat Brown said. “We put some booms out. Some firefighters got a little wet.”
According to Brown occupants of the two vehicles extricated themselves prior to medics” arrival. Two victims were transported for minor injuries. Brown said a medical unit out of the Lucerne station transported one victim to Sutter-Lakeside while a medic unit providing mutual aid out of Lake County Fire Protection District transported one person to St. Helena Hospital, Clearlake.
Additional equipment included engines from the Nice and Lucerne stations.
Dennis Callison, 50, of Clearlake Oaks was driving his 1995 Ford westbound on Highway 20, west of Henderson Drive. It was raining and the roadway was wet, according to CHP. While entering a sharp curve in the roadway, the back tires of the Ford broke traction on the wet roadway. The Ford began to slide out-of-control. The Ford went to the left and crossed into the eastbound lane of traffic directly in front of a 2004 Jeep being driven by Howard Kelsey, 54, of Lucerne.
The Ford struck the Jeep head-on. The force of the impact pushed the Jeep off of the roadway and it began to roll over on to its top. The Jeep came to rest on its top approximately two-feet into the lake.
Kelsey was able to free himself from the Jeep and went up the embankment to check on the other driver. Both parties were transported by the Clearlake Oaks Fire Department to the Hospital.
The collision is being investigated by CHP Officer B. Bach.
Contact South County reporter Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
