Northern California Accident Attorney Blog

A 22-year-old Chico woman tragically died Sunday afternoon in a head-on collision with a motor home in Lake County, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. Three vehicles were involved in the collision, which occurred at about 1:30 p.m. on Highway 20 near Clear Lake, above the Paradise Cove subdivision. The collision involved a motorhome, a 2005 Chevy Equinox, and a 2009 full-size Chevy pickup truck. Investigators believe the westbound motorhome, driven by Eric Hunt, 73, drifted across double yellow lines and struck the eastbound Chevy Equinox head-on. The motorhome then struck the Chevy pickup truck driven by Claude Speegle, 57, of Winters.

The driver of the Chevy Equinox, Marina Bajczi, 22, died in the crash, the CHP reported. A 30-year-old man in her vehicle, Ruben Masso, 30, suffered major injuries. Claude Speegle, the driver of the pickup truck, suffered minor injuries, and Ernie Hunt, the driver and sole occupant of the motorhome suffered major injuries, including burns on more than one-fifth of his body. He was airlifted to a local hospital.

Head-On Collisions on Highway 20

A number of people have suffered death or serious injury in accidents on Highway 20 this year. On April 9th a 65-year-old Indiana woman died major collision in Lake County that left six other people seriously injured. The highway is especially dangerous because most of the 211 mile length of Highway 20 is a two-lane highway, although portions of the route in Grass Valley have been converted to freeway standards.

Potential Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Liability

The cause of this accident is still under investigation. Based on the limited information provided in the Lake County News and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, it is not clear why the driver of the motorhome drifted into oncoming traffic. In situations such as this one, where another party is likely responsible for another person's wrongful death or serious injuries in a head-on collision, the family members of the victims would be well-advised to contact a northern California personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to protect their legal rights, and ensure they hold the at-fault party accountable for the accident.