From left, Bob Cornez and Dale Evans show off before (right) and after pictures of the mine site. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

ABBOTT MINE – A massive mine cleanup project of two south county mercury mines begun last fall officially wrapped on Thursday.

The Abbott and Turkey Run mines, minus the mountains of mine tailings and buildings that once marked the site along Highway 20 near Walker Ridge Road, were shown off Thursday by officials from El Paso Corp. of Colorado Springs, Colo., and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The cleanup project began Oct. 10, 2006, said Clay Bowers, project manager for Camp, Dresser and McKee (CDM), the Cambridge, Mass.-based contractor that El Paso hired to complete the cleanup job.

Daniel Schnee, senior legal counsel for El Paso, said EPA's Region Nine Office, based in San Francisco, contacted El Paso in June 2006 to inquire if the company had ever conducted mining operations at the two mines.

El Paso's business is centered mostly in the southwest, where spokesman Richard Wheatley said they have some 43,000 miles of natural gas pipeline. That puts their current operations nowhere near Lake County.

However, Schnee said El Paso conducted an internal review and found that one of the subsidiaries it had purchased over the years, COG Minerals Corp., had, indeed, been responsible for mining operations at the site.

This wasn't the first mine cleanup El Paso has undertaken. Wheatley said the company also has been involved with cleanup of the famous Comstock Mine, which produced Nevada's silver Comstock Lode.

Schnee said the Abbott Mine claim was filed in 1866. There is some uncertainty about the Turkey Run's history, he added, although the company believes that the Turkey Run claim was filed in 1893. The two mines consolidated operations in 1900.

The mines were highly productive, yielding between 50,000 and 60,000 flasks of mercury during operation, which ceased in 1961, said Schnee. A flask is the size of a three-liter soda bottle and weighs 76 pounds.

The project gets started

Marc Ferries, El Paso's environmental remediation director, said the company was, at first, admittedly reluctant to spend the $5 million needed to carry out the cleanup.

However, he said El Paso's leadership decided it needed to be proactive and clean up the site, which also was in keeping with its corporate vision of being "the neighbor to have."

Schnee added that it came down to trust. "We are very conscious of the public's view of our company and our reputation means a lot to us."

By taking the lead on the project, El Paso also made a smart business decision financially.

EPA was poised to move forward with the cleanup, even if El Paso wasn't, said Schnee. Had the company chosen to contest its liability, Schnee said it would have resulted in an estimated cleanup cost three times the amount the company paid to do the work on its own.

So El Paso moved forward quickly, hiring CDM to lead the cleanup, said Schnee. El Paso Remediation Manager Bart Wilking; Janet Yocum, EPA's onsite coordinator; and Dale Evans of CDM, an expert in mine remediation, designed the project.

Schnee said work began only four months after EPA's initial contact with El Paso.

A unique factor to the cleanup is that El Paso, although held as a responsible party through its subsidiary holdings, doesn't actually own the property, said Schnee. There are now between four and six private owners who own the land through old mine patents passed down to them. Lake County News could not reach them for comment for this story.

El Paso had other challenges, said Evans, including unbelievably steep terrain, with grades as high as 52 degrees in some places.

And besides the mine they had to clean up 23 abandoned vehicles and tons of illegally dumped garbage, company officials reported.

There also was the matter of a squatter who had lived on the land for eight years and created a compound of sorts that included old trailers. Schnee said eventually the company reached a settlement with the man, who left.

Landscape a challenge

Pointing across the landscape, Evans said, "The terrain was obviously a challenge."

In some cases, it was a study in geometry, he said.

Much credit was given to CDM's heavy equipment operators, whose virtuoso skills on bulldozers helped carry out the work. Evans joked that the men were "part mountain goat"; so skilled were the operators that they were able to take the dozers down the incredibly steep slopes safely.

On the topic of safety, El Paso representatives on Thursday were very proud of the absence of any safety concerns or accidents as the project – which required 20,000 man hours – took place.

Evans explained that they removed tons of mine tailings – the waste left over after the mercury is extracted from the rock – from the hillsides and roads, including one mountain of tailings that had formed out from the natural hillside.

Bob Cornez, CDM's lead site construction supervisor, said they looked at the materials and judged whether they were leachable or nonleachable. If they were likely to leach mercury into the soil, those materials were removed completely, he said.

Mine tailings not considered a worry for leaching were capped with a 2-foot-thick layer of clean soil taken from nearby, Wilking said.

Materials considered to be hazardous were loaded, covered and trucked to a hazardous waste site in Nevada, said Wilking.

Cornez estimated that 50 truckloads of the hazardous materials were transported to Nevada.

The mine's buildings, 30-ton furnace and ore bins – the latter considered major contributors to the site's mercury contamination – were completely removed, said Cornez.

Evans said the wooden structures had soaked up mercury and were contaminated.

However, 10 pieces of metal mining equipment that could be decontaminated were saved, said Cornez.

The Lake County Historical Society received several pieces of equipment, according to Greg Dills, who chairs the Historical Society's committee on the Ely Stage Stop Museum, where the equipment eventually will be displayed.

Included was a large winch for raising and lowering people into the mine shafts, a smaller winch, a drag line and a cage used for the ore cars, said Dills. “It's some nice old historic equipment of Lake County's mining.”

Confronting water quality issues

One of the most important aspects of the project was to stop mercury escaping from the site and going into Harley Gulch, at the base of the hillside where the mine was located.

An estimated 10.2 kilograms of mercury in the form of sediment was eroding from the site each year into Harley Gulch, said Wilking. Evans added that Harley drains into Cache Creek about eight miles from the mines.

"We've isolated all that mine waste," said Wilking, with the goal that no more mercury will leach into Harley Gulch or Cache Creek.

That's an important goal; a 2002 report on the Cache Creek Watershed noted that Cache Creek was a major source of mercury to the Bay-Delta, which it drains into.

Wilking said the excavation went down as far as the gulch's flow line; today the gulch is thoroughly riprapped with rock brought from local quarries.

The project was intended to withstand a 100-year flood event, but Evans surmised it could survive much more – possibly a 500-year or 1,000-year event, due in part to the size of the riprap used to secure the site's drainages and creeks.

Evans said they tried to spare as much vegetation and as many trees as possible during the cleanup.

The four to five mine entries, leading to shafts that in some areas led as far as 500 feet into the mountainside, are all now filled and capped, Evans added.

Regulator, company worked well together

El Paso officials cited a great working relationship with EPA, a situation that isn't common between companies and regulators.

"I could not have imagined how good the final project was going to look," said Yocum, who added that the project will greatly benefit the environment.

On behalf of EPA, Yocum thanked El Paso for taking the lead and jumping ahead of EPA's processes. "At every level it's been a great team to work with."

A question company officials couldn't answer is how the site will be monitored going forward. That, said Schnee, has yet to be determined, and could involve not just El Paso but state and federal officials.

Abandoned mines are no small problem for Lake County. Ferries reported that there were 14 mercury mines in the county's Sulphur Bank district.

David Lawler, coordinator of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Abandoned Mine Lands Program in the California state office, said BLM was currently assessing cleanups of about 10 mines in the county. Lawler estimated that there are 100 mercury mines around Lake County.

The reason, said Lawler, is California's rich mineral deposits. "California has world-class mercury deposits," he said, adding that the state is home to the five largest mercury mines in North America.

Supervisor Ed Robey, one of several visitors to the mine site Thursday, thanked El Paso officials for completing the project. In comparison, he said there has been an ongoing battle over the cleanup of the Sulphur Bank mine.

That mine, which is owned by Bradley Mining, is an EPA Superfund site. Last year EPA completed the first phase of its cleanup of the site, which took place at the Elem Colony.

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

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The processing buildings at the Abbott Mine. The buildings have since been removed. Courtesy photo.

The Abbott Mine buildings sitting on a pile of tailings. Both the buildings and the tailings have been removed. Courtesy photo.

A gigantic pile of mine tailings that was visible from Highway 20. The project cleaned up the pile. Courtesy photo.

A view of one of the hillsides where tailings have been carved away. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Some of the old mining equipment recovered from the mine. Courtesy photo.

Lt. Cecil Brown of the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported that 36-year-old Troy Allen Crabtree was arrested in the incident.

Brown reported that Sgt. Kip Ringen was driving a marked patrol car near the intersection of Highway 29 and Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville at about 3 p.m. Monday when he saw a black Suzuki GSXR 1000 motorcycle traveling north on Highway 29 on its rear wheel.

Ringen attempted to stop the motorcycle and contact the rider, later identified as Crabtree, Brown reported.

Instead of pulling over, Crabtree accelerated to more than 100 miles per hour, Brown reported. He passed four northbound vehicles over the double yellow line, and caused two southbound vehicles to pull off of the roadway to avoid a collision with the motorcycle.

Brown's report said Ringen pursued Crabtree on Highway 29, Merritt Road, Renfro Drive and Bell Hill Road, where he lost sight of the motorcycle.

As Ringen approached Hummell Lane, he saw a man pointing down Hummell Lane, according to Brown's report.

Ringen subsequently found the Suzuki on its side in a cloud of dust on the shoulder of Hummell Lane, with Crabtree running from the motorcycle, still wearing his helmet, Brown reported.

Brown reported that Ringen pursued Crabtree on foot, and as he began to overtake him he ordered Crabtree to stop.

At that point, Crabtree finally stopped and submitted to arrest, Brown reported.

Crabtree was booked into the Lake County Jail for evading a peace officer and reckless driving. He has since posted bail for $11,000 and was released.

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California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia reported that 48-year-old Robert Faulknor was the victim of the collision, which Lake County News first reported over the weekend.

Faulknor was driving westbound on Point Lakeview Road near Lower Lake Friday at about 7:30 p.m. when 18-year-old William Jeffrey Shephard of Kelseyville crossed the double-yellow lines in his Jeep, hitting Faulknor in his Toyota head on.

The CHP reported that Faulknor had veered to the right in an attempt to avoid the collision. He died at the scene, despite having worn his seat belt.

Shephard, who also wore a seat belt, sustained major injuries including a chest contusion and facial injuries. He was transported by REACH helicopter to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Garcia said Shephard remains in the hospital due to the severity of his injuries.

As Lake County News previously reported, CHP determined Shephard was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The crash was the Labor Day weekend's only fatality, according to Garcia.

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

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A report from the Clearlake Police Department said officers arrested 49-year-old Robert Stuart Enos on Sept. 5 for kidnapping, false imprisonment, terrorist threats and assault with a deadly weapon.

The arrests, the department reported, resulted from an ongoing police investigation.

Enos allegedly kidnapped a 45-year-old woman on the evening of Sept. 1.

He is alleged to have taken the woman to his Clearlake residence, where he held her against her will, threatened and assaulted her with a deadly weapon. Police did not specify what weapon was used.

Clearlake Police reported Enos eventually released the woman, who had no physical injuries.

The woman contacted police, who began an investigation which included serving a search warrant on Enos' home. During the search police found evidence related to the alleged crime.

Enos was arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail, according to the report. He remains in jail on $60,000 bail.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Sgt. Crandall at 994-8251.

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California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia said the combination of the Lake County Fair, concerts and the X.S. Weekend at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa kept officers busy.

Statewide, CHP reported 36 people were killed in its jurisdiction while 13 died within California’s incorporated cities which are patrolled by local police. In 2006, a total of 46 people were killed on California roadways during the Labor Day weekend.

Of the 36 fatalities within the CHP's statewide jurisdiction this year, one was a pedestrian, three were motorcyclists and 32 were in passenger vehicles, the agency reported. Vehicle passengers were required by law to wear seat belts or child safety seats but 26 of the 32 did not.

In Lake County, the weekend had one fatality that resulted from a head-on collision which took place Friday night on Point Lakeview Drive, as Lake County News previously reported. The victim was 48-year-old Robert Faulknor of Kelseyville, Garcia reported Tuesday.

“Everything else was what you could expect for a holiday weekend,” said Garcia, who noted that there weren't any particular hot spots, but that activity was spread across the county.

Lakeport Police Chief Kevin Burke said it was a very mellow Labor Day weekend, with only a few fights reported the last night of the Lake County Fair, which didn't result in arrests.

Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Cecil Brown reported a few battery arrests and vehicle pursuits were the notable events that took place over the weekend. Brown said he expected to issue a report on Wednesday explaining the pursuits in more detail.

Clearlake Police Lt. Mike Hermann was out of the office Tuesday afternoon and could not be reached for comment on how the weekend went for that agency.

CHP usually has extra officers on for Labor Day, said Garcia. This year, they had 85 percent of their officers on duty, with two out-of-area officers coming to the county to assist.

An intersection safety grant from the Office of Traffic Safety helped fund the extra officer hours, said Garcia.

Just the extra officers alone accounted for 67 citations, 63 of which were for moving violations and four for open containers of alcohol, on Saturday and Sunday, Garcia reported.

In addition, the weekend yielded eight arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Garcia.

The numbers are still preliminary, but Garcia said so far he's counted a total of 199 CHP-issued citations for the weekend, which included everything from seat belt violations to the DUI arrests.

Statewide, during the Labor Day Weekend Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) up to 80 percent of CHP’s officers were on the road looking for violators. They arrested 1,580 impaired drivers compared with 1,749 last Labor Day Weekend.

All told, there were 39 arrests over the weekend for charges ranging from DUI to bench warrants, according to the Lake County Sheriff's logs.

There were four arrests in Lakeport, 10 for the Lake County Sheriff's Office, 14 for Clearlake Police, 10 for CHP and one for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

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

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MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST – Work continues on the 270-acre Yolla Bolly Complex located 20 air miles northeast of Covelo.

There are three remaining uncontrolled fires in the complex: Butte (40 acres), Sugarloaf (95 acres) and Lazy (170 acres), according to a report from forest spokesperson Punky Moore.

Moore said the Lazy Fire is established in an area of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness on the Shasta Trinity National Forest with limited access, rugged terrain and extremely steep ridges that are contributing to constant rolling material and uphill runs. Fire activity has increased significantly on the east, south and west flanks.

About 100 personnel are working on the Lazy Fire with two helicopters dropping water on hot spots, delivering supplies and transporting crews, Moore said. Due to the complex nature involved in containing this fire, it has been elevated to a Type 2 incident and Kent Swartzlander’s NorCal Type 2 Incident Management will assume command of this incident Monday evening.

Meanwhile, firefighters continue the process of controlling the other fires in the complex, according to Moore. Some of the most difficult work remains: reinforcing existing line, suppressing smoldering debris and patrolling burned areas to ensure no fire is lingering that may flare up again. More than 100 personnel are working to contain the Yolla Bolly Complex.

Deer rifle season begins in B-Zone in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness on Sept. 15, Moore reported. Hunters are encouraged to call ahead to one of our offices to check on current conditions in case areas are still affected by fire activity. A temporary flight restriction is in place for a 10-mile radius around the fire area.

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By evening, the county was so socked in with smoke that Mt. Konocti was difficult to see from across the lake and even from nearby homes, according to area residents.

Wildland fires burning around Northern California are the cause of Lake County's smoky skies, according to reports from Forest Service, Cal Fire and the National Weather Service.

The Northern Sacramento Valley on Wednesday morning had a thick haze of smoke hovering over it, with reports throughout the day that the valley's haze came from the Moonlight Fire, burning in the Plumas and Lassen National Forests in northeastern California.

The National Weather Service reported that northeasterly wind flow across the northern Sierra Nevada and the western foothills was spreading considerable amounts of smoke from the Moonlight Fire into the Sierra's northern foothills, across the central and southern portion of Sacramento County, the northern San Joaquin Valley and into the Sacramento Bay-Delta.

The Moonlight Fire, located about 12 miles southwest of Susanville, has burned 18,500 acres since it began Monday afternoon. It was only five percent contained on Wednesday evening, according to a report from Cal Fire and the National Forest Service. The fire's cause has yet to be determined.

Officials reported that winds from the northeast were pushing the fire to the south and southeast; those same winds also were responsible for pushing smoke into the Sacramento Valley and then across into Lake County, according to Cal Fire.

At the same time, the Yolla Bolly Complex, located 20 air miles northeast of Covelo, continued to burn Wednesday, and officials warned of smoke traveling to the Sacramento Valley and outlying areas.

As Lake County News previously reported, the Yolla Bolly Complex – composed of several fires in a portion of the Mendocino National Forest and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest – was ignited by lightning strikes Aug. 29.

Mendocino Forest spokesperson Punky Moore reported that forest officials had issued a red flag warning due to strong, gusty northeast winds on the complex, which were hampering firefighting efforts and pushing smoke south.

The Yolla Bolly Complex is close to 300 acres in size, according to Moore. No report on its percent of containment was available.

Strong winds also were affecting efforts to battle the Lazy Fire, part of the lightning-caused Yolla Bolly Complex burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, according to a Forest Service report. The 500-acre fire was 30 percent contained Wednesday, with full containment expected Sunday.

The National Weather Service forecast north winds through Thursday over the fire area, which could push the fire south onto the Mendocino National Forest, with smoke moving over the northern Sacramento Valley.

Smoky conditions, the National Weather Service reported, are expected to persist until midday Thursday, when prevailing winds are expected to shift, allowing conditions to improve.

People with vulnerable respiratory systems are advised to take precautions, including staying indoors and avoiding strenuous physical activity, until the smoke clears, the National Weather Service advised.

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CHP Officer Adam Garcia reported Tuesday that at 10:22 p.m. Saturday CHP Officer Robert Hearn spotted 31-year-old Clearlake resident Erik Wayne Sutch's 1992 Saturn crossing the double-yellow lines on Point Lakeview Drive near Fairway Drive in the Clear Lake Riviera.

Hearn attempted a traffic stop of Sutch, Garcia reported, but rather than pull over, Sutch took off, driving recklessly into Lower Lake.

Sutch was unable to negotiate a left turn onto Mill Street from Main Street and ended up hitting a utility pole, said Garcia.

After hitting the pole, Sutch attempted to flee on foot, said Garcia, but was taken into custody a short time later.

Why he attempted to run may be explained by the CHP's discovery the following day that the vehicle had been stolen from Kelseyville shortly before the chase occurred, according to Garcia.

Sutch, whose occupation is listed as mechanic on his booking sheet, faces charges, including felony vehicle theft, possession of narcotic controlled substances, evading a peace officer and bringing a controlled substance into a jail, and misdemeanors including driving without a license, driving under the influence of alcohol, obstructing a peace officer, and hit and run with property damage.

Sutch has since posted bail and been released from the Lake County Jail.

Garcia said it's important for the public to remember to lock vehicles and secure keys in a safe place to deter theft.

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

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The message should be clear to anyone ... STOP! Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKE COUNTY – Attention motorists: Be on the lookout for several very large, bright yellow vehicles once again crisscrossing our city streets and country roads starting this week.

On Tuesday, all of Lake County's schools will be open for business and dozens of school buses will be back to work.

The buses will roll out of bus barns early in the morning from every school district and for the next 180 school days the drivers, transportation managers and the California Highway Patrol want to remind motorists of the hazards as well as the consequences of failing to abide by the laws regarding school bus safety.

The most common traffic violation relating to school buses is the failure to stop for a school bus while it is stopped for loading or unloading passengers, according to CHP Officer Mike Humble, who oversees the local CHP school bus driver program.

In order to put greater focus on traffic laws relating to school bus safety, Humble said new regulations have been implemented for both school bus drivers and the general driving public.

In the past, bus operators were required to begin flashing the red lights on the bus only when the bus was not in motion, said David Norris, director of transportation for Lakeport Unified School District.

These days state law requires each driver to activate a set of amber lights at least 200 feet from the next intended bus stop, thereby warning motorists of the bus's intention to stop, Norris added.

Once stopped, and before the doors open, the flashing red lights will indicate that all vehicles traveling in all directions must come to a full and complete stop, Norris explained.

Failure to stop puts the children as well as the bus driver in danger of injury, said Humble.

Though the numbers vary by district, roughly 35 percent of the county's students and their parents rely on these buses to get to and from school safely, according to information provided by local school districts.

The drivers are well trained and continually tested, said Humble.

The buses are likewise inspected frequently and must be maintained to very high standards, with safety equipments updated regularly, according to Norris. At a district level, he added, buses also go through annual safety checks.

That leaves the average motorist the one uncontrollable variable in the school bus safety equation. As a result CHP and county transportation officials ask that motorists familiarize themselves with bus stop locations whenever possible.

Officials indicate the while the problem occurs throughout the county the most active locations for bus stop violations occur in areas such as downtown Lakeport, where the roadway offers a middle two-way turn lane. Many drivers believe this allows them an opportunity to pass the bus safely.

Drivers also should be on the lookout for students approaching the bus stops as well as those actually loading and unloading, said Humble.

Other factors that every driver should consider are tailgating, stopping short and trying to beat the flashing lights by accelerating around a bus before it comes to a full stop, said Humble.

Whether you're traveling on busy Highway 20 or in the hills of Nice, downtown Lakeport or the main drag of Middletown, patience and awareness of your surroundings is paramount, said Humble.

The penalties for failing to stop can be steep. If convicted of violating section 22454 of the California Vehicle Code, a motorist can count on a fine of $150 for the first offense. A second offense will bring a fine of between $500 and $1000. Further violations can result in a suspension of driving privileges for one year.

It's the average motorist's responsibility to adhere to regulations and the common sense rules of the road. Bus-related injuries are rare in Lake County, thanks to the diligent work of all the transportation professionals responsible for so many lives.

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County resident Mark Elsa, 23, has been diagnosed with a rare synovial sarcoma cancer, said his brother, Tyler.

While the cancer usually is found in the body's joints, Mark's cancer has moved to his lung, according to Tyler Elsa. Two large tumors – one measuring 4 inches, another 6 inches – have been found on his right lung.

Mark requires several rounds of chemotherapy, which already have been started, according to information provided by his brother. He may also be facing lung surgery to move the cancerous growths, followed by radiation treatments.

The lengthy treatment process will likely involve weeks of hospitalization at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and University of California, San Francisco's hospital, according to information provided by his family.

Because of the astronomical expenses involved, Mark's family is working to raise money to pay for his care.

A benefit pasta feed is planned on Friday, Sept. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lakeport Elks Lodge, 3775 Lakeshore Blvd., Tyler Elsa reported. The cost is $8 per person, and includes spaghetti, salad, coffee and dessert.

Donations to help fund Mark's care – including personal expenses, transportation, lodging and medical bills – also are being accepted, his family reported.

The family reported that donations can be made to the Mark Elsa Cancer Fund at any Bank of America branch. They thank the community for any and all donations.

Most of all the family asks that everyone keeps Mark in their prayers.

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

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California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia said the accident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. Monday.

Joseph Edward Lawson, 43, of Clearlake was driving a 1989 GMC Blazer on a dirt road east of Davis Street near the Lake County Landfill when the accident occurred, Garcia reported.

Lawson was traveling on a downgrade and drove over the road edge, rolling down a steep embankment before coming to rest approximately 150 feet from the road, according to Garcia.

Riding with Lawson were 38-year-old Shawn Hammond and Patrick Robinson, 34, both of Clearlake, said Garcia.

The three men were able to climb out of the wrecked Blazer before emergency personnel arrived, Garcia added.

While Lawson was flown by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with injuries that later turned out to be minor, Garcia said Hammond and Patrick were transported to Redbud Hospital with moderate injuries.

Lawson later was released from Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where CHP officer picked him up and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence.

CHP transported Lawson, who works as a painter according to his booking sheet, to the Lake County Jail where he was booked for felony DUI.

He remained in jail Tuesday on $10,000 bail.

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

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The California Highway Patrol reported that the collision took place at 7:30 p.m. on Point Lakeview Road east of Highway 29.

William Jeffrey Shephard, 18, of Kelseyville was driving his 1991 Jeep eastbound on Point Lakeview Road at an undetermined speed, according to the report. Coming from the opposite direction was a 1986 Toyota driven by a 48-year-old Kelseyville man whose identity has not yet been released.

The CHP reported that, for an unknown reason, Shephard turned his Jeep to the left and crossed the double yellow lines into the oncoming, westbound lane of Point Lakeview.

The other driver turned to the right in an attempt to avoid being struck by Shephard, but couldn't avoid the resulting head-on collision, the CHP reported.

Despite the fact that he was wearing his seat belt, the second driver died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the collision, according to the CHP.

Shephard, who also was wearing his seat belt, sustained severe injuries, including facial fractures and a chest contusion, the CHP reported. He was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital via REACH helicopter.

The CHP reported that it was determined that Shephard was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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