CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol issued a preliminary report on Wednesday night about a crash near Clearlake Oaks that claimed the lives of two people and sent two others to regional trauma centers.
The two-vehicle collision occurred on Highway 20 west of Highway 53 at 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to the report from the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office.
The identities of the two people who died were not released Wednesday night pending notification of kin, but the CHP said both men, aged 58 and 54, were from Clearlake Oaks.
Injured in the crash were Scott Flora, 36, of Ukiah, who was driving a 1964 Toyota FJ40; and his passengers, Santa Rosans Zachary Roes, 30, and 12-year-old Emma Steele-Hunt, the CHP said.
The 58-year-old Clearlake Oaks man was driving a 1974 Ford F350 box pickup truck eastbound on Highway 20 approaching Highway 53, with the 54-year-old man riding as his passenger, the CHP said.
The report said Flora was driving westbound with Roes in the front right and Steele-Hunt seated in the center rear.
The Ford’s driver – who the report suggested may have been attempting to enter the parking lot of the Clearlake Oaks Moose Lodge – crossed the double-yellow dividing lines into the westbound lane and the Toyota’s path.
The front of the Toyota hit the left front and left side of the Ford, with the collision’s impact sending both of the vehicles into the Moose Lodge entrance, the CHP said.
Steele-Hunt, who the CHP said was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle.
The Ford rotated and struck a sign post before coming to rest on its wheels north of the north edge of Highway 20, with the vehicle facing northwest, the CHP said. The Toyota spun and came to rest in the Moose Lodge entrance, facing north.
Both of the Ford’s occupants were declared dead at the scene, according to the report. The driver was wearing his seat belt but the passenger was not belted.
Flora and Roes were able to get out of the Toyota on their own, the CHP said.
Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown, who was the incident commander, had two air ambulance land in a nearby field, as Lake County News has reported.
The CHP said Flora was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Steele-Hunt to UC Davis Medical Center, both with moderate injuries. Roes had minor injuries; he was treated and released at the scene.
The collision’s exact cause remains under investigation, the CHP said.
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