Clearlake Oaks >> Slick road conditions on Sunday appear to have caused a vehicle to go off the road and into Clear Lake, leaving the driver injured and her passenger dead.
Susan Suarez, of Cobb, was driving eastbound on Highway 20 east of Hillside Lane at an unknown speed when she reportedly lost control of her 2008 Toyota Yaris on the wet roadway, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer Mark Crutcher. The car went off the south roadway edge, veering off the highway and becoming submerged in the lake for an unknown period of time before a passer-by managed to help Suarez and passenger Francis Strassman, of Berkeley, out of the car.
Suarez, 57, was treated and released at St. Helena Hospital, Clear Lake, Crutcher said. Strassman, 79, was unconscious at the scene and was also transported to St. Helena, where she was ultimately flown to University of California, Davis Medical Center. She was pronounced dead at 5:30 p.m.
Neither alcohol nor drugs appear to be a contributing factor in the crash which is still under investigation by Crutcher.
Another car on Monday morning went into Clear Lake less than 2 miles from the Sunday incident site, CHP public information officer Kory Reynolds said.
Sheila Carr, of Lucerne, was driving in the rain westbound near Henderson Drive at about 10:21 a.m. when she lost control of her 2005 Honda Civic going around a corner, he said. The car hit some rocks and went partially under water.
Carr, 49, had complaints of pain to her left shoulder and neck, but it was unknown as of Monday afternoon if she was transported to a hospital, Reynolds said.
“It could’ve been a lot worse, as we just found out the other day,” he said.
Reynolds reminds drivers to make sure vehicle equipment such as tires and windshield wipers are in working order. After long dry period, oil on the surface of the roads can create slippery conditions once it does rain. Reynolds said reducing speed on slick roads is the best defense.
