UPDATE:

The California Highway Patrol today released the name of the Santa Rosa man killed Nov. 27 in a head-on crash on U.S. Highway 101 near Salmon Creek Road that also injured two others.

According to a release, John Bare, 59, was driving a BMX SUV when he lost control of the vehicle amid winter weather conditions. His passenger sustained major injuries and the driver of the other vehicle suffered moderate injures in the collision.

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A man was killed and his passenger severely injured just before 1 p.m. today after the driver lost control of his vehicle for unknown reasons near Salmon Creek Road on U.S. Highway 101 and drove into the path of a Ford Excursion traveling in the opposite direction.

According to the CHP, the driver, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene and the passenger “sustained major injuries.” The driver of the Excursion suffered “minor to moderate injuries,” a release states.

U.S. Highway 101 near Miranda was closed for almost two hours during “the collision investigation and recovery of the vehicles,” according to the release. During that time, southbound and northbound traffic was diverted onto State Route 254.

The California Highway Patrol reports there was “heavy rainfall and hail” on that section of the roadway at the time of the head-on crash, which was immediately followed by “two separate non-injury collisions” in the same area.

Read the release from the CHP below:

On 11/27/2019, at approximately 1250 hours, an SUV occupied by two males was traveling southbound US 101 south of Salmon Creek Rd. A Ford Excursion being driven by Teresa Bowles was traveling northbound on US 101 south of Salmon Creek Rd.

For reasons still under investigation, the driver of the SUV lost control of his vehicle and crossed into the northbound lanes, directly into the path of the Ford. The Ford struck the SUV head on and both vehicles came to rest blocking both northbound lanes.

As a result of the collision, the driver of the SUV succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The passenger of the SUV sustained major injuries and was transported to St. Joseph Hospital by City Ambulance. The driver of the Ford sustained minor to moderate injuries.

US 101 was closed for approximately two hours for the collision investigation and recovery of the vehicles. All northbound and southbound traffic was diverted onto SR-254. At the time of the collision, this section of US 101 was experiencing heavy rainfall and hail.

The name of the driver of the SUV is currently being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. It is unknown at this time of drugs or alcohol were a factor in this collision.

Following the initial collision, two separate non-injury collisions occurred in the immediate vicinity.

The California Highway Patrol, Redway Volunteer Fire, Cal-Trans, Humboldt County Sheriff's Department, Miranda Volunteer Fire, Myers Flat Volunteer Fire, Salmon Creek Volunteer Fire and City Ambulance all responded to the scene. This collision remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol - Garberville Area.