UPDATE. 1:36 p.m.: The Mad River Union is reporting that the driver killed on Highway 299 early this morning is Dylan Ruiz. The official word from CHP is included below:
The driver that sustained fatal injuries has been identified by the Humboldt County Coroners Office as 23 year old Dylan Wade Ruiz of the McKinleyville area.
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Original Post: California Highway Patrol press release:
On the early morning of Thursday, October 16, a driver sustained fatal injuries as the result of single vehicle collision on State Route 299, east of US-101.
Just after 3 a.m., a 2010 Mazda 2 sedan traveling eastbound on State Route 299 drove off the south roadway edge and sideswiped a guardrail. The vehicle then skidded out of control across all traffic lanes and center median, ultimately colliding head-on into the bridge railing of the Lindsay Creek Bridge on the north side of State Route 299. The driver and only occupant of the vehicle sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. The driver was wearing his seatbelt and the vehicle’s air bags were deployed. DUI as a factor in this collision is being investigated with the assistance of the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office. The driver appeared to have been handling a mobile electronic device at the time of the collision.
The adult male driver’s name is being withheld pending family notification. This traffic collision is being investigated the CHP Humboldt Area office.