LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities have identified the two Lake County residents who died in separate traffic crashes on Friday and Saturday.
Alisa Anne Pettey-Torres, 59, of Hidden Valley Lake, died in a head-on crash on Highway 29 just south of Grange Road on Friday, said Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Paulich said Walter William Toupal, 53, of Clearlake died in a solo-motorcycle crash on Highway 20 just west of Bruner Drive between Lucerne and Glenhaven on Saturday afternoon.
The California Highway Patrol’s on Pettey-Torres’ wreck said that on Friday at 5:18 p.m., she was driving a 2005 Toyota Corolla southbound on Highway 29, north of the Bar X entrance Road.
David Thurber, 49, of Hidden Valley Lake was driving a 2012 BMW X5 northbound on Highway 29, approaching Pettey-Torres’ Toyota sedan, the CHP said.
For reasons still under investigation, the CHP said Pettey-Torres’ Toyota crossed over the highway’s solid double yellow lines and she collided head-on with the BMW. Both vehicles became disabled on the northbound shoulder.
The CHP said Pettey-Torres was extricated from the vehicle and after life saving measures, she succumbed to her injuries on scene.
Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected to be factors in this collision, the CHP said. Both drivers were using their safety equipment.
In the case of Toupal’s crash, the CHP said he was riding his 2001 Harley Davidson eastbound on Highway 20, west of Bruner Drive at 2:16 p.m. Saturday when, for reasons still under investigation, he allowed his motorcycle to veer off the south side of the roadway.
Toupal’s motorcycle struck several boulders, impacted the shoreline and went into the lake, the CHP said.
A nearby fishing boat came across the motorcycle and the rider in the lake, pulled the rider to the shore and called 911, authorities said.
Medics who arrived on scene shortly afternoon pronounced Toupal deceased at the scene, the CHP said.
The CHP said alcohol appears to be a factor in this crash.
These two crashes were among four that have resulted in fatalities in less than a week. The other fatal wrecks occurred on Wednesday near Blue Lakes and on Sunday on the Mendocino National Forest near Upper Lake.
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