Eureka Residents Struck by Possible DUI Driver in Fatal Lake County Crash

Fire trucks behind one of the mangled vehicles at the scene of Sunday's fatal accident. [Photos provided by Phil Nasca]

The scene of Sunday’s fatal accident. [Photos provided by Phil Nasca]

This is a press release from the California Highway Patrol. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:

CHP TC PROn 01/12/2020 at approximately 1611 hours a head on traffic collision occurred on SR-20 at Blue Lakes Lodge. Party #1, (Withheld) was driving a 1991 Toyota Pickup (Vehicle #1) eastbound on SR-20, just west of Irvine Ave., at approximately 50 mph. Party #2, (Gutierrez) was driving a 2000 GMC Sierra (Vehicle #2) westbound on SR-20, just west of Irvine Ave., at approximately 45 mph.

Party #3 (Nasca) was driving a 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 (Vehicle #3) westbound SR-20, just west of Irvine Ave., at approximately 40 mph. directly behind the GMC. For reasons yet to be determined, P-1 allowed V-1 to veer across the solid double yellow lines onto the westbound lane and side swiped V-2. V-2 spun out on the north side of SR-20. Following this collision, V-1 continued onto the westbound lane. The right front of V-1 collided with the front of V-3. V-1 came to rest on its wheels on the north shoulder of SR-20, V-2 came to rest on its wheels on the north embankment of SR-20, and V-3 came to rest on the north shoulder of SR-20.

P-1 was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision. P-2 and P-3 were wearing their seatbelt at the time of the collision.

P-1 sustained major injuries as a result of the collision and was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, the transfered to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Occupants of V-2 and V-3 did not sustain any injuries and were cleared by medical at the scene.

Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in this collision, which is still under investigation.

NOTE: The following photo may disturb some readers. If the sight of blood is distressing, please don’t scroll down.

Fire trucks behind one of the mangled vehicles at the scene of Sunday's fatal accident. [Photos provided by Phil Nasca]

Fire trucks behind one of the mangled vehicles at the scene of Sunday’s fatal accident. In front, a shoe sits beside a pool of blood. 

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

29 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Industrial Disease
Guest
Industrial Disease
4 years ago

Light truck taking on two heavies. Not good. No seatbelt. Not good. Drive safe everyone.

Jesus, Chris
Guest
Jesus, Chris
4 years ago

Remember: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/even-when-sober-frequent-marijuana-users-are-worse-drivers-report-n1115681

Thousands of people DUI every night and day in Lake County, home of the “Industrial Strength Drunk”. Lake County drivers regularly drive 25 over, pass over the double yellow, and will happily drive a foot from your rear bumper, no problem…
When you drive through Lake County, you are in an area of low safety, driving among people who have no regard for the lives of other people, people who will routinely risk your safety to save 10 seconds on a run to the beer store…
The CHP in Lake County will barely stop anyone, because when assessing a fine in Lake County, nearly everyone will choose the jail term over paying! They can’t collect fines from the broke and the broken, so the officers play with their phones and wait to clean up accidents rather than spending their shifts booking the drunks… Many people prosecuted in Lake County, have no license, no insurance, and no money.
Keep this in mind when visiting Lake County, and watch the hell out!

Lake County, one of the most dangerous places on earth to drive.

My condolences to the families of the victims here.

Katherine S Nickels
Guest
4 years ago

🇺🇸Oh no they got grilled cheese. 🇺🇸

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
4 years ago

Wear your dang seatbelts!!

Bushytails
Guest
Bushytails
4 years ago

Yet another drunk driving death. How many more until we stop treating drunk driving as acceptable? At least this one only killed himself.

Bushytails
Guest
Bushytails
4 years ago
Reply to  Bushytails

A lot of people. “Dude, I was so wasted last night, I don’t even remember how I got from the bar to the ditch in front of the neighbor’s house!” is somehow something people brag about, not something that gets people shunned…

Calm down
Guest
Calm down
4 years ago
Reply to  Bushytails

Whos doing that?

enough
Guest
enough
4 years ago
Reply to  Bushytails

Who? Our society. We advertise for people to come get drunk (casinos, sports games, etc.) and then drive home! Our drunk driving laws are a joke. Many lawyers and others have said if you want to commit murder, do it with your car. You’ll be free in no time.

Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Bushytails

🕯🌳Not me and I’m not really blaming the highway, but if I put the truth were it belongs in most cases, not all,but most it’s the individual drivers + alcohol or drugs or idiot’s that cause the most. I’ll go back to my bridge and chew on a few human legs for awhile. 🦄☄🛸

Please
Guest
Please
4 years ago
Reply to  Bushytails

Show some respect please.

Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago

🕯🌳🚑” 30 days in the hole, that’s right, that’s right, 30 days in the hole”.⚖🇺🇸

Dan F
Guest
Dan F
4 years ago

I think it’s going to be a bit longer than 30 days in this particular hole!!!

Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Dan F

🕯🌳Agreed. ⚖🚑

Joe
Guest
Joe
4 years ago

HOLY SHIT!!

HeadsUp
Guest
HeadsUp
4 years ago

You might want to blur or put a disclosure on the first photo, Kym. That’s very clearly blood in the puddle in the foreground.

M. B.
Guest
M. B.
4 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Nope that’s blood. He had at least one compound fracture of the femur which meant his legs would have been bleeding profusely and there’s the shoe so…..

Jim Brickley
Guest
Jim Brickley
4 years ago
Reply to  HeadsUp

Toyota’s use red anti-freeze.

Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago

🕯🌳Maybe it’s Humboldt not just 101? Hmmmmmm. 🗿🛸🛐

Festus
Guest
Festus
4 years ago

The Toyota Tacoma began production in 1995.

M. B.
Guest
M. B.
4 years ago
Reply to  Festus

Yeah that’s a Toyota Pickup not Tacoma. The body style is similar tho

binbearda4
Guest
binbearda4
4 years ago

I personally feel there should be no such thing as a D.U.I. charge. That would be driving under the influence of course. No. I, myself would like to see it changed to A.V.M. As in Attempted,Vehicular,Manslaughter and send every drunk pulled over straight to fuckin prison. Not jail, no calling anyone for bail or bond. You get pulled over drunk you go to prison and loose your license for the rest of your life. Low life scum suckin murdering bastards. That, by the way is the current law in not only Canada but over a dozen countries across the planet as well. Sweden has “The morning after” if you have a hang-over from the night before? Your done. That is no longer a vehicle once a drunk is in charge of it. It is 2 ton loaded weapon with no control.

Jesus, Chris
Guest
Jesus, Chris
4 years ago
Reply to  binbearda4

Because California can afford prison space for every offender!

Better to send to mandatory rehab in a locked facility. AA meetings every hour for 28 days, and the offender pays the bill… Coffee and smokes free!

Hippopotamus
Guest
Hippopotamus
4 years ago
Reply to  Jesus, Chris

Ah yes, just force feed them the 12 step Jesus, Chris. That’ll fix everything

Missing a great friend
Guest
Missing a great friend
4 years ago
Reply to  Hippopotamus

This person was a friend of mine and he wasn’t drunk. He had a previous dui and had a breathalyzer installed in his truck that prevented the truck from starting if he had any alcohol on his breath. And he had to blow into it about every 5 minutes. Driving under the influence is a very dangerous thing and I hear of too many people doing it. Please don’t jump to conclusions just because it’s assumed the drinking was involved. I mourn the loss of my friend still and miss him greatly. My husband and I were telling him how proud we were that he was putting his life back together just a few days before this happened. A good man taken too soon.

M Morgan
Guest
M Morgan
4 years ago

We knew him as a capable electrician and a talented glass blower. His work was sought after by locals.
Alcoholism is a disease but not treated like one. It’s unacceptable that I can’t find his name anywhere.
He deserves more compassion than that. Could somebody
please print his name.

Jess
Guest
Jess
4 years ago

Will you keep this updated about the deceased?

Chill Out
Guest
Chill Out
4 years ago

People are so quick to jump to conclusions. Says POSSIBLE DUI.