The crash occurred near the intersection of Highways 29 and 281 at Kit's Corner just after 6 p.m. Thursday, as Lake County News has reported.
CHP Officer Joe Wind said fellow officers who responded to the collision described the scene as chaotic, with numerous drivers, passenger and seven vehicles.
“The collision is still under investigation,” Wind said Friday. “We don't really know who's at fault at this point in time.”
He said they're still trying to piece together the scene and how the collision was triggered.
“It was essentially a pileup,” he said.
There were some injuries, but Wind said they were minor.
The crash was initially reported as a vehicle into a telephone pole, but Wind said the investigation so far hasn't revealed whether that was how the crash started, or if a vehicle ended up against he pole after the crash. He said PG&E and other utility companies weren't called to make any repairs to the pole.
Officers are looking for a possible suspect vehicle that some witnesses saw leaving the crash scene, said Wind.
“Preliminary reports indicate we have a white Dodge Durango that was possibly involved that left the scene going southbound,” he said.
The Durango, for which he didn't have a year, was said to have minor damage to its front left fender.
Lake County News received information from another party that the Durango triggered the crash by hitting a PT Cruiser first.
Wind said the CHP made one arrest, with one of the drivers involved, Ruth Mary Vanlokeren of Middletown, arrested by CHP Officer Jeremy Jensen on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Vanlokeren later posted $5,000 bail and was released.
Wind said Jensen is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information on the suspect vehicle is asked to call the CHP at 707-279-0103.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .
