The crash near the Rodman Slough Thursday afternoon is believed to have had alcohol as a contributing factor. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKE COUNTY – No one was seriously injured in two auto collisions that occurred Thursday afternoon.

The first of the two collisions occurred at about 2:15 p.m. It involved two vehicles on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff about 800 feet south of the Rodman Slough bridge.

A Black 1994 Ford Mustang GT Driven by Dewey Lucas of Laytonville was traveling northbound just five minutes from his destination when he was hit by a white, two-door Chevy Cavalier driven by Teresa Mae Figueras of Nice.

Lucas suffered minor head injuries, complaining only of a headache just minutes after the collision. No one was transported to area hospitals.

According to eyewitness accounts, Figueras came off the bridge at a high rate of speed and was having a difficult time controlling the vehicle, passing into the other lane.

“I could see her expression as she tried to get control but she just kept crossing from one side to the other, 'til she completely lost it around the turn and into the short straightaway,” said Lucas. “For just a flash of a second I thought I just might get past her but at the last possible moment her car turn sharply to the left and slammed in to the left side of my car.”

Lucas' vehicle spun around at least once and traveled approximately 200 feet backwards before slamming into a large tree stump on the side of the road.

Figueras, 51, was given a field sobriety test at the scene. A California Highway Patrol officer arrested her on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. She was booked into the Lake County Jail on $5,000 bond.

No one was hurt in a crash that occurred in the 2000 block of S. Main Street late Thursday afternoon. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

A second crash occurred in the 2000 block of S. Main Street in Lakeport after 4 p.m.

Lakeport Police Officer Jarvis Leishman reported that a 19-year-old female from Finley was driving a white 2003 Ford Focus that collided with a Ford Ranger pickup driven by a 30-year-old male Kelseyville resident.

Leishman said there were no injuries, just complaints of pain.

No arrests were made and the investigation is still under way to determine fault, he added.

Elizabeth Larson contributed to this report.

E-mail Harold LaBonte at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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