LAKEPORT >> A head-on collision in Lakeport Tuesday afternoon resulted in the death of one man and caused severe injuries to his wife.
Darryl Prather, 64 of Cobb, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the California Highway Patrol’s official report, the accident occurred around 1 p.m. when Daniel O’Neil Long, 30 of Ukiah, driving a 2013 Ford pickup, lost control of his Ford pickup truck while driving south on Highway 29 near Eleventh St. Long’s vehicle veered across the median into oncoming northbound traffic.
Investigators report that Prather turned hard to attempt to avoid the collision, but the pickup hit the victim’s Subaru head on at an unknown speed. The impact was hard enough to throw both vehicles off the road.
Darryl Prather sustained fatal injuries. His wife, Lela, reportedly suffered severe injuries to the chest and head.
Due to weather conditions at the time, air transport was not readily available. Emergency Medical Services eventually transported Lela Prather to the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for further treatment. There has been no further word on her condition.
According to CHP spokesman Kory Reynolds, Darryl Prather’s next-of-kin has been notified of his passing.
Neither the driver of the pickup nor his passenger, a child, suffered injuries in the crash.
CHP’s report of the incident states road conditions were wet at the time of the crash, but investigators have not determined if this accounted for the pickup’s loss of control. Drugs or alcohol have been ruled out as a factor.
As of now, Reynolds said the CHP has no further information on the cause of the crash.
