[UPDATE 2:41 p.m.] Medevac Needed for Major Injury Accident Last Night on Hwy 299

At approximately 11:20 p.m. Monday night, two vehicles collided head-on and one person was trapped on Hwy 299 west of Willow Creek, according to Incident Commander’s report over the scanner.

The patient had major injuries and was trapped in the vehicle. Second patient not trapped.

Hwy 299 was closed temporarily as emergency responders had to extract the patient from a vehicle. A REACH helicopter was able to land only one mile west of the scene near the old CHP station to collect the patient, according to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page as mirrored by the Lost Coast Outpost.[UPDATE: Note: the landing zone eventually changed to Berry Summit parking area.]

We’ll update with more information when the CHP is able to respond later this afternoon.

UPDATE 2:41 p.m.: According to Sgt. Gabe Parker of the California Highway Patrol, two friends were following each other on Hwy 299 west of Salyer. The first vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, “made unsafe movement and overturned,” he explained. The other vehicle, a Prius, was unable to stop in time and struck the Jeep Cherokee.

The driver of the Jeep Cherokee was badly injured and needed to be extricated from the vehicle and medevacked to Mercy Hospital in Redding with major injuries. The driver of the Prius went to the hospital for minor injuries.

Hwy 299 was temporarily blocked in both directions.

Drugs or alcohol is suspected to be a factor but an investigation is still underway, Parker said.

Please remember that information gathered from initial reports is subject to revision as more facts become available.