Black ice on the roadway appears to have been the cause of a multi-vehicle collision that occurred on Highway 395 near Doyle Saturday night, according to details released this morning by the Susanville office of the California Highway Patrol.
At around 8:30p.m. on March 17th, the Susanville CHP Communications Center received multiple 911 calls reporting several vehicles involved in a collision on Highway 395 near Laver Crossing in south Lassen County.
“The area of US Highway 395 had experienced freezing temperatures in addition to having been wet from recent storms,” explains CHP Public Information Officer Kristen Wilburn. “Responding officers discovered five vehicles, four passenger vehicles and one truck tractor with trailer, involved in the collision.”
Preliminary investigation revealed the following sequence of events:
79-year old Umpqua, Oregon resident Albert Satterla was driving his 2000 Ford Excursion northbound on US Highway 395 at an unknown speed when he lost control of his vehicle and drifted into the southbound lanes, colliding with a 2017 Toyota Corolla occupied by 47-year old Vancouver, Washington resident Nicole Rathmanner and 47-year old Portland, Oregon resident Stacy Mayhood.
The Toyota came to rest on the west shoulder of US Highway 395 facing in a southeasterly direction, and the Ford Excursion came to rest in the southbound lane facing south.
At this point a southbound truck tractor with attached trailer driven by 49-year old Ashland, Oregon resident Troy Hague approached the accident scene and was unable to stop in time. His truck struck the rear of the Ford Excursion which came to rest on the west shoulder of US Highway 395 facing in a southerly direction.
The truck tractor and trailer came to rest facing south, obstructing both northbound lanes of the highway. Moments later, a 1994 Lexus driven by 21-year old Doyle resident Sarah Johnson was traveling northbound on the highway within the #2 lane. She observed the truck tractor obstructing the northbound lanes and attempted to avoid a collision by steering to the left before losing control and beginning to slide.
The right side of the Lexus collided with the front of the stationary truck tractor, coming to rest facing in a westerly direction obstructing the northbound lanes.
Moments later, a Chevrolet Impala driven by 25-year old Susanville resident Lotonuu Vaimasanuu was traveling northbound on the highway within the #1 lane. Vaimasanuu attempted to avoid colliding with the vehicles by swerving and applying the brakes, losing control of the vehicle in the process.
The front of the Chevrolet collided with the front left of the Lexus which then came to rest facing in a southeasterly direction within the #1 lane. The Chevrolet came to rest facing in a westerly direction within the #2 northbound lane.
All parties involved were transported to area medical facilities for treatment of minor and moderate injuries sustained during this collision, which remains under investigation.
“The CHP would like to remind motorists to slow down during icy conditions and always wear their seatbelt.”
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