KELSEYVILLE — A man could not escape from his burning car after a crash about 11 p.m. Saturday on Highway 29 in Kelseyville and died, California Highway Patrol stated.
CHP and the Sheriff-Coroner”s Office did not release the man”s name by press time. As of Monday morning, the man had not been positively identified, Officer Steve Tanguay of CHP said.
At approximately 11 p.m. Saturday, the man was driving a 2004 silver Dodge Stratus north on Highway 29 south of Highway 175 to Cobb at an undetermined speed, Tanguay said. For unknown reasons, the man was unable to negotiate a left curve in the road. The Dodge traveled left across the southbound lane and struck a dirt embankment along the west road edge. The car spun in a counter-clockwise direction and the rear of the Dodge struck a tree crushing the car. The Dodge continued to spin around before coming to rest facing north along the west shoulder of Highway 29.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the damage crushing the rear of the car caused the gas tank to ignite and start a fire, Tanguay said.
Bystanders stopped to help the driver, but the fire consumed the car quickly and the driver was unable to get out, Tanguay said. ?
“It sounds like he was pinned or the doors were not operable,” he said.
By the time two Kelseyville fire engines and CHP responded, the car was engulfed in flames and a 20-foot by 20-foot patch of vegetation alongside the road was burning, engineer and paramedic Brian Burnham of Kelseyville fire said.
“There was a very fast response from both stations,” Burnham said.
Fire crews quickly put out the fires with a hose from each engine, he said. One ambulance also responded.
The driver died as a result of the fire before it could be extinguished, Tanguay. No one else was injured as a result of this collision.
CHP is still investigating the crash, Tanguay said.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
