LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A Lakeport man died on Friday after his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck in the Kelseyville area.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office identified the crash victim as Phillip Richard Liberto, 57.
Liberto died of his injuries at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 8:50 p.m. Friday on Highway 281/Soda Bay Road west of Fairway Drive Friday night, the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office reported.
The CHP said Liberto was driving a special construction motorcycle westbound on Soda Bay Road at an unknown speed with 51-year-old Jessica R. Rehder of Kelseyville riding as his passenger.
Michael C. Pitto, 60, of Lower Lake was driving a 2006 Dodge Ram pickup towing a boat trailer eastbound on Soda Bay Road and turning left into the Riviera Market at approximately 10 miles per hour, the CHP said.
For reasons that the CHP said are yet to be determined, Pitto turned the pickup left across the westbound lane, directly in the path of Liberto’s motorcycle.
As a result, Liberto’s motorcycle collided with Pitto’s pickup.
The CHP said Liberto died of his injuries, while Rehder sustained major injuries and was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Both were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
Pitto was wearing a seat-belt and was uninjured, the CHP said.
As of the time of the CHP’s Monday report, it was unknown if drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in the crash.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation, the CHP said.
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Lakeport motorcyclist dies following crash with pickup
- Elizabeth Larson
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