CLEARLAKE – A crash on Old Highway 53 in Clearlake on Friday afternoon killed one man and injured two other people.

The collision occurred at 1:15 p.m. on Old Highway 53 north of Konocti View Road, according to Clearlake Police Sgt. Tim Hobbs.

Hobbs said a Hyundai Tiburon driven by a male subject was traveling north on Old Highway 53 when he crossed over the double-yellow lines into the southbound lane and hit head-on a Ford Explorer with two elderly people riding in it.

The Hyundai's driver died at the scene, while the Ford Explorer's occupants were taken to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake with minor to moderate injuries, Hobbs said.

Clearlake Police and the Lake County Fire Protection District responded to the scene, where Hobbs said the roadway was shut down until about 4 p.m. The Lake County Sheriff's Office also sent a deputy for coroner duties.

Hobbs said the speed limit through that stretch of road is 30 miles per hour, however due to the damage sustained by both vehicles – which he said looked more like what would be seen in a highway crash – he believed that the Tiburon's driver was likely traveling much faster. He said the Explorer was probably traveling slower than the speed limit.

“At this point we can't say he died as a result of this collision,” Hobbs said of the Hyundai's driver.

On Saturday Hobbs didn't release the identities of those involved, as he said he had been unable to verify that family members had been notified of the incident.

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