Clearlake Oaks >> Despite their efforts, medics were unable to save the life of a man trapped in his overturned vehicle Early Thursday morning.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that the 24-year-old driver, whose name has yet to be released, was heading westbound on Highway 20 at Schlinder Street when he drifted off into the right-hand dirt shoulder. The front end of the 1997 Ford Explorer hit a posted speed limit sign, and as it continued to travel in a northwesterly direction, the driver’s side door struck a power pole, shearing it at the base.
The truck overturned and hit a chain link fence before finally landing on its roof with the driver trapped inside, according to CHP. Emergency responders provided aid, but the driver succumbed to his injuries at the scene still inside the vehicle.
The victim was not wearing a seatbelt, and it is unknown as of Thursday afternoon if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash, which is under investigation.
