One dead and one injured after head-on collision in Humboldt County

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. — One man is dead and another injured after a head-on collision in Humboldt County Saturday morning.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Humboldt said they were called to the area of ​​State Route 299 east of Essex Lane around 7:30 a.m. on September 21, 2024 for a report of a two-vehicle crash.

After an initial investigation, officers determined that the driver of a 1994 Jeep was traveling eastbound on SR-299 approaching a curve. The driver was unable to negotiate the curve and left the eastbound lanes to merge into the westbound lanes, causing the Jeep to collide head-on with a 2020 Ram.

Officials said both drivers were taken to Saint Joseph Hospital in Eureka, where medical personnel pronounced the Jeep driver, a Fortuna man, dead. The other driver, Fredrick Sundberg Sr., 75, of Willow Creek, suffered serious injuries, according to CHP.

While the CHP investigated the accident at the scene, the westbound lanes of SR-299 were closed for approximately three and a half hours.

According to officials, it is currently unknown whether alcohol or drugs were involved. The accident is still under investigation.