LAKE COUNTY — A woman was killed and another arrested following a solo car crash on Highway 29 Tuesday evening. The driver of the vehicle, identified by California Highway Patrol (CHP) as Nina Litzin, 23, of Clearlake, sustained a broken back and was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital via REACH air ambulance after being arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI).
Leah Hernandez, 19, of Clearlake, who was seated in the right front passenger seat, suffered fatal injuries in the crash.
According to the CHP, around 7 p.m. Litzin was driving a 1997 Chrysler Sebring convertible southbound on Highway 29 north of Spruce Grove Road (south) just outside of the Hidden Valley Lake area. Litzin was allegedly driving in a reckless manner.
Litzin apparently lost control of the vehicle and it exited the west road edge, narrowly missing a guardrail. The vehicle continued down a downhill embankment where it struck a tree and several rocks, the CHP said. The vehicle overturned and Hernandez was ejected causing fatal injuries.
An additional passenger, Tamara Davidson, 21, of Clearlake, who was seated in an undetermined position in the rear of the vehicle, suffered minor injuries. She was also airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
CHP said that seatbelt use remains under investigation as does the exact cause of the crash.
