A 41-year-old Lake County woman was killed and four other people were injured Saturday night in a crash on Highway 20, authorities reported. Both the CHP and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded to the crash, which happened west of Marina Drive in Mendocino County. The February 6 crash occurred at about 11:15 p.m., and the highway was closed until nearly 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
According to reports in the Ukiah Daily Journal, a 1997 Ford van travelling west collided with a 2004 Chevy Silverado truck travelling east. The Ford was travelling an estimated 60 mph and the Chevy was travelling an estimated 50 mph. The CHP reported that the driver of the Ford, for reasons not known, drifted into eastbound lanes, colliding head-on with the Chevy. The woman driving the Ford, who was identified only as a resident of Lower Lake, died in the crash. Two passengers in the Ford, a 27-year-old Redwood Valley man and a 20-year-old Finley woman both suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Chevy truck, a 45-year-old Williams man, and his 29-year-old passenger, were also injured.
Based on the news reports of the incident, the cause of the accident is not clear. Why did the driver of the Ford drift into eastbound traffic? In the course of their investigation, the CHP will speak to passengers and any witnesses, and determine what caused this crash, and if alcohol was a factor in the collision. While the cause of the head-on accident remains under investigation, both of the passengers in the Ford and the driver and passenger in the Chevy may benefit from a consultation with a California Highway 20 accident lawyer, to determine their rights to compensation for their injuries. The family of the woman killed in this crash may also have a claim for wrongful death, if the crash is deemed not her fault.
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