News

Two people were killed and a third airlifted to Santa Rosa after a violent collision on U.S. Highway 101 in Southern Humboldt today.

According to a CHP release, a 2007 Honda Civic was traveling southbound at 11:44 a.m. when the driver lost control of the car for unknown reasons and crossed into the path of a van being driven northbound. The two occupants of the Honda, whose ages have not been released, died at the scene. Both were wearing seatbelts.


The driver of the van, 69-year-old Marsha Adams of Sedona, Arizona, suffered major injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment. She was also wearing a seatbelt. The two females in the Honda have not being identified pending notification of their next of kin.

The crash shut down the highway for several hours, but it has since been reopened, according to Caltrans.

The California Highway Patrol release states it is “unknown at this time if drugs or alcohol were a factor.”

Read the CHP release below:

On April 13, 2018, at approximately 11:44 am, a 2007 Honda Civic, occupied by two females was traveling south bound US-101 south of Salmon Creek at an unknown speed. A 2003 Ford van being driven by Marsha Adams was traveling north bound US-101 south of Salmon Creek at approximately 65 MPH.

For reasons still under investigation, the driver of the Honda lost control of her vehicle and crossed into the north bound lanes, directly into the path of the Ford. The Ford struck the Honda broadside and both vehicles left the east roadway edge. As a result of the collision, both occupants in the Honda sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Ford was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Due to the recovery of the vehicles and the collision investigation, northbound traffic for US-101 was diverted onto SR-254.

The names of the occupants of the Honda are currently being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. It is unknown at this time of drugs or alcohol were a factor in this collision.

The California Highway Patrol, Redway Volunteer Fire, Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue, Cal-Trans, Humboldt County Sheriff's Department, State Parks, Miranda Volunteer Fire, Myers Flat Volunteer Fire, Salmon Creek Volunteer Fire and City Ambulance all responded to the scene. This collision remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol - Garberville Office.