From the California Highway Patrol:

On 8/11/20 at approximately1730 hours, Dan Watson parked a  2017 Ford F250, towing a  2019 TowMaster tilt deck trailer on Alapok Lane at Briceland Road. The combination of vehicles was parked facing northbound on an uphill slope when Watson began to unload his John Deere tractor from the Towmaster.  The weight from the tractor on the rear of the trailer caused the rear tires of the F250 to lift up off the driveway.  The Ford and trailer tires traveled over the tire chocks and slid in a southerly direction as Watson jumped off the tractor to the ground. The Ford and trailer continued backwards across Briceland Road, in a southerly direction and over the descending embankment. The Ford and trailer collided with a tree and came to rest on the embankment, south of Briceland Road. The John Deere tractor became detached from the trailer, rolled down the steep embankment, and came to rest in the creek bed, south of Briceland Road.  As a result of the collision, 2-3 gallons of hydraulic fluid leaked into Redwood Creek from the John Deere tractor.  Due to the swift action of local residents who placed straw in the creek to absorb the hydraulic fluid, the spill was minimized to the area in close proximity of the John Deere tractor. 

Due to the necessity to close Briceland Road for the recovery of the Ford, trailer, and tractor, traffic was diverted onto Old Briceland Road. Briceland Road was closed for approximately 3.5 hours.

Humboldt County Environmental Health responded due to the Hazardous Materials spill and is overseeing the cleanup of the hydraulic fluid from the creek bed.  Humboldt County Roads Department responded and assisted with traffic control.  This collision remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol Garberville Area.