WILLITS >> James Dean Myer, 53 of Kelseyville, died Oct. 28 after driving a flatbed truck off the road on Hwy. 101 about 3 miles south of Willits. He was headed north at around 42 mph when, for unknown reasons, his Freightliner truck crossed four lanes into oncoming traffic until driving off the road, down an embankment before slamming into a tree.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
There were no other passengers. Units responded at around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. The cause of the crash is still under investigation by California Highway Patrol officers. Early CHP reports cited the possibility the driver had fallen asleep.
Caltrans closed one lane of Highway 101 southbound for much of the day to allow crews to remove the tree and recover the vehicle.
The truck was a 2003 two-axle vehicle carrying steel, which hit a tree after going off the road. Alcohol or drugs did not appear to be a factor, per CHP.
