The California Highway Patrol's Ukiah office said the crash occurred just after 6:30 p.m. May 28 on Highway 101 north of N. State Street.
The head-on collision claimed the lives of Catherine Denise Shaw, 48, of Ukiah and Michael Wayne Berry, 63, of Redding. Press reports at the time stated that Shaw, who had been seen driving recklessly, had to be identified by dental records after her car burst into flames.
Berry's wife, Donna Marie Berry, 60, sustained major injuries in the collision, the CHP reported.
Officials said Shaw was determined to have a blood alcohol level of 0.22 at the time of the collision. She also tested positive for Delta-9 THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The state's legal limit for blood alcohol concentration is 0.08.
Shaw was determined to be the cause of the collision due to driving under the influence with the associated factor of driving at an unsafe speed for conditions, the CHP said.
“Every year, members of our community are needlessly maimed and killed on our roads,” said CHP Capt. Ray Madrigal. “Our goal is to ensure the safe passage of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of drunk driving.”
Madrigal said sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and educational presentations on driving under the influence are some of the tools the CHP uses to address driving drunk.
