UPDATE, 12:01 p.m.: The CHP has announced that the driver who sustained fatal injuries in this traffic collision is 27 year old Elsa Sunah Kim of Alamo, California.  She has recently resided in the Eureka area.

CHP Press Release: (See CHP Dispatch here)

On Sunday, August 25, 2013, at approximately 8:30 am, an adult female was driving a 1993 GMC westbound on State Route 36 east of milepost marker 10.70.  For reasons still under investigation, the driver failed to negotiate a turn, crossed the solid double yellow line, and collided into a tree.  The driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, was transported to Redwood Memorial Hospital, but sustained fatal injuries.  The driver’s name is being withheld pending family notification.  DUI is not believed to be a factor in this traffic collision. 

The California Highway Patrol Humboldt Area is investigating this traffic collision.  Emergency personnel from the Carlotta Volunteer Fire Department and City Ambulance also responded and provided emergency medical care, patient transportation, and traffic control.