News

A 24-year-old Eureka man was killed today after his pickup truck crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a tractor trailer, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash, which occurred just before noon on Myrtle Avenue north of Pigeon Point Drive, closed the road for more than two hours. The unidentified driver of the pickup truck died at St. Joseph Hospital.
According to CHP, he was not wearing a seatbelt. A dog in his truck appeared  uninjured but was taken to a local vet. The driver of the tractor trailer was not hurt, the CHP release states.

The CHP is investigating whether alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

Read the CHP release below:

On Wednesday February 28, 2018, at approximately 1150 hours, a 1991 Mazda pickup was traveling northbound on Myrtle Ave., north of Pigeon Pt. Dr. The driver of the Mazda pickup allowed it travel off the east roadway edge. The truck then traveled back across both lanes of traffic, collided with a guardrail along the west edge of the roadway, and continued into the southbound lane of Myrtle Ave. directly in the path of an oncoming vehicle. The Mazda pickup and a 2005 Peterbilt tractor/trailer combination collided head-on and came to rest blocking both lanes of traffic. Traffic along Myrtle Ave. was temporarily diverted to allow cleanup of debris and fluids within the lanes of traffic and reopened at approximately 1430 hours.
The driver of the Mazda pickup, a 24 year old male out of Eureka, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. He was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Identification of the driver of the Mazda is pending notification of next of kin by the Humboldt County Coroner's Office. A dog in the pickup appeared uninjured but was transported to a local veterinarian for an exam. The driver of the Peterbilt tractor/trailer, Tyson Boynton of Ferndale, CA, was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision and was uninjured.
Alcohol or drugs as factors in this collision remains under investigation. This collision is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol and anyone with information related to this collision is encouraged to call the Humboldt Area CHP office at 707-822-5981.