- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Middletown man dies in Wednesday head-on wreck
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Middletown man died Wednesday as the result of a head-on vehicle crash that authorities said occurred after his car crossed into the path of a pickup.
Andrew Kramen, 30, died of his injuries following the wreck, which occurred at approximately 2:33 p.m. Wednesday in the Clear Lake Riviera, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.
The CHP said Kramen was driving his 1996 Volvo 850 northbound on Highway 281/Soda Bay Road south of Point Lakeview Drive while Alvin D. Reed Jr., 45, of Clearlake was driving a 2006 Ford F-350 Performance Mechanical pickup truck southbound.
For reasons that investigators are still working to determine, Kramen allowed his vehicle to veer across the northbound lane and enter the southbound lane, into Reed's path, with the car and the truck colliding head-on, the CHP said.
The two vehicles came to rest in the southbound lane, blocking traffic, the CHP said.
Riding with Andrew Kramen was his 7-year-old son, Lucas Kramen, according to the CHP.
The CHP said Lucas Kramen was seated in the vehicle's right front seat and was wearing a lap and safety belt.
The child sustained major injuries – including lacerations and a possible broken wrist – and was transported by REACH air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center, the CHP said.
Andrew Kramen, who the CHP said appeared to have not been wearing his seat belt at the time of the collision, died of his injuries not long after the wreck occurred.
Reed, who was wearing his seat belt, was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake with major injuries, including facial lacerations and a possible broken nose, according to the CHP’s report.
“It's been a rough day,” said Phil Harris, owner of Performance Mechanical, a company based in Clearlake that offers sales and service of heating and cooling systems.
Harris said Reed, one of his technicians, was heading to a job site in Buckingham to pick up some paperwork when the crash occurred.
“He had almost no time to react,” said Harris, explaining that by the time Reed realized that Kramen's Volvo was colliding with the pickup, the air bags had deployed.
A bleeding Reed jumped out of his work truck, extinguished the fire in the Volvo's vehicle compartment and then helped get the child out of the car, Harris said.
Harris said Reed was home by Wednesday evening. He was OK, but Harris added, “He's beat up.”
CHP Officer Kory Reynolds said no drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, led by Officer John Geer, the CHP said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the relationship between the Kramens and statement from Officer Reynolds that no alcohol or drugs were involved.
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