CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Siskiyou County woman died on Tuesday afternoon in a head-on collision on Highway 20 that resulted in the arrest of the other driver for driving under the influence.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred at approximately 12:17 p.m. on Highway 20, east of Clearlake Oaks and near New Long Valley Road.
The CHP said the fatal crash victim was a 45-year-old Weed woman whose name was not released pending notification of next of kin.
The other driver, Raymondo Meza, 55, of Chico, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, CHP Officer Joe Wind said.
The woman who died in the wreck was driving a 2016 Honda Civic westbound on Highway 20 at an unknown speed, while Meza was driving eastbound at a high rate of speed in a 1990 Chevrolet pickup with an unidentified female.
The CHP said that Meza, for reasons not yet determined, allowed his pickup to cross over the highway's double-yellow lines, directly into the path of the Honda.
The Honda's driver could not avoid the crash, with the two vehicles colliding head-on and the woman sustaining fatal injuries, the CHP said.
Meza and his passenger both suffered major injuries and were transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment, according to the CHP.
Wind said Meza is believed to have been under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs at the time of the crash, based on the investigation so far.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Highway 20 crash kills woman, leads to arrest
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On