LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A late Thursday afternoon head-on crash near Upper Lake involving a pickup and a tractor trailer killed a Northshore man and injured three others.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the wreck occurred at 4:42 p.m. Thursday on Highway 20 east of Bachelor Valley Road.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office identified the person who died as John Steven Alvarez Sr., 68, of Nice.
The CHP report said that at 4:45 p.m. Thursday CHP Clear Lake units responded to the wreck.
The officers arriving on scene found a 2019 Volvo tractor trailer combination driven by 75-year-old Caroll Landers of Yuba City and a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup truck driven by Douglas Warren, 64, of Lucerne, were involved in the crash.
The CHP said Warren’s passengers were Alvarez and 58-year-old William Hughes of Willits.
Warren and Hughes sustained major injuries and were transported via air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, the CHP said.
Authorities said Alvarez died at the scene.
Landers sustained minor injuries. The CHP said she was not transported to a hospital.
Based on the investigation so far, the CHP said it appears that Warren was traveling eastbound on Highway 20 and for unknown reasons crossed over the centerline and into the westbound lane of traffic, where his pickup collided with the front of the tractor trailer driven by Landers.
The CHP said Caltrans responded to the scene and assisted with traffic control.
The crash caused Highway 20 to be closed for approximately three hours, the CHP said.
Scotts Valley Road was used as a detour route until all lanes of Highway 20 reopened at 8:10 p.m. Thursday, according to the CHP.
All four of the crash victims were wearing their seat belts, the CHP said.
The CHP said the crash remains under investigation.
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