LOWER LAKE — A 73-year-old Clearlake Oaks man died after a head-on collision on Highway 29 just south of Spruce Grove Road Wednesday morning.
The man”s identity was not released, pending notification of next of kin.
The man was driving a blue Mazda2 southbound on the highway when he crossed the double-yellow line and traveled into the path of an oncoming tan Chrysler sedan about 8:15 a.m., according to California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Mark Crutcher.
Beverly Reynolds, who drove the Chrysler, applied her brakes but could not avoid the collision, Crutcher said.
The crash occurred on a sloped curve south of downtown Lower Lake, almost in the same spot as a violent head-on that killed three people in January.
The Clearlake Oaks man died at the scene. The Mazda2 had Arizona license plates and appeared to be a rental car.
Reynolds, 66, of Lower Lake was airlifted by REACH to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries, including a broken arm and leg, Crutcher said.
Her 13-year-old passenger from Lower Lake was transported to St. Helena Hospital, Clear Lake with complaints of back and neck pain. The teenager appeared to be the woman”s granddaughter, CHP Officer Kory Reynolds said.
The Chrysler”s engine compartment caught fire after the crash.
Petaluma resident Kevin Lewis, who pulled up seconds afterward, grabbed a company-issued fire extinguisher from his semi-truck and worked to knock down the flames.
“I just wanted to get the fire out,” he said.
Fire personnel ultimately put out the flames, Crutcher said.
Robert Hooper, of Middletown, said he drove up about three minutes after the crash and talked to the driver of Mazda2 before emergency responders arrived.
“It”s really sad. It really is,” Hooper added.
The Mazda2 came to rest against an embankment roughly one yard away from a large indentation caused by the Jan. 14 crash that claimed the lives of Kari Lynn Marks, Jena Marie Marks and Patrick Earl Campbell.
Staring at the wreckage Wednesday morning, Richard Thompson advocated for a concrete divider down the stretch of Highway 29.
“It”s going to save lives. I don”t care what it”s going to cost,” the Hidden Valley Lake man said.
The head-on collision Wednesday was the 11th fatal crash in Lake County this year, according to Kory Reynolds.
Officials closed the highway for about two hours.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh.
