Clearlake Woman Killed During Local Car Accident
On Tuesday, September 1, 2020, a Clearlake woman tragically passed away as the result of a local auto accident. The accident happened just outside of Clearlake and involved three passenger vehicles. In addition to the decedent, two other people involved in the accident suffered injuries. Lake County authorities have identified the decedent as 41-year-old Renea Pillow of Clearlake, CA. The accident remains under investigation.
Crash Information
The accident occurred on Highway 53 at around 9:15 a.m. The Clearlake woman was reportedly driving a 2005 Mercedes ML350 northbound on the highway just past Ogulin Canyon Road. According to California Highway Patrol (CHP), she was traveling at a speed of around 70 miles per hour.
The Mercedes reportedly crossed over a broken yellow median line in order to pass another large vehicle when it crashed head-on into a southbound 2016 Toyota Camry. Following the initial accident, a third vehicle, reportedly a southbound 2015 Nissan Altima, collided with the driver’s side of the Toyota. All three vehicles were seriously damaged during the accident, and wreckage from the collision blocked highway traffic in both directions.
Response
CHP indicated that multiple agencies responded to the auto accident, including the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department as well as Caltrans, and the Clearlake Police Department. Responders arriving at the scene discovered that each vehicle was occupied by one individual and that all three people had suffered injuries. The Mercedes driver tragically lost her life on-site.
The driver of the Toyota reportedly suffered major trauma and was transported to the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Vacaville for emergency care. The driver of the Nissan, reportedly the wife of the Toyota driver, was determined to have suffered non-severe trauma and was transported to the Clearlake Adventist Health Hospital. CHP indicated that all parties had been wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
Investigation
As police continue to investigate what may have caused the crash, officers have indicated that they do not suspect DUI to have been a factor. No likely factors have been reported so far. In many cases, accidents like this one happen due to factors that lie outside of driver control like inadequate roadway signage, defective auto parts, and more.
Furthermore, fatal accidents present a challenge to investigators because they aren’t able to ask the decedents about what took place. Unfortunately, this can lead police to overlook important evidence that could play a critical role in a wrongful death case. Because of this, it’s important to have an attorney who can privately investigate the accident and determine whether or not any negligence was involved.
Wrongful Death Damages
It’s impossible to replace the love and care of a person in your life. However, grieving families are often able to claim significant compensation following fatal accidents to help them recover. To learn more about wrongful death compensation, watch this video:
Other Blogs by Ed A. Smith, Clearlake Wrongful Death Lawyer
- Man Charged With DUI Following Clearlake Collision
- What is a Clearlake Personal Injury Lawyer?
- Big-Rig Collision in Clearlake
Clearlake Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Clearlake wrongful death lawyer. Car accidents are often tragedies. To receive my free, friendly advice regarding your wrongful death case, please call me as soon as you can at (800) 404-5400 or (707) 564-1900.
I’ve worked with individuals from Clearlake on fatal accident cases for 38 years. To learn about me and my practice, you can read through the verdicts and settlements we’ve obtained. You can also take a moment to look at my client reviews posted on these sites:
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