Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

On July 11, 2018, at approximately 1240 hours, officers responded to a report of a collision on US 101 near Big Lagoon. Upon arrival, officers determined that the driver of a gray Nissan pickup, Jeffrey Holiman of Portland, OR, stopped on the right shoulder of northbound US 101 at Big Lagoon to retrieve a surfboard that had fallen out of the bed of the pickup. At that time, the driver of a white Honda sedan, Claude Grey of Coquille, OR, was traveling north on US 101 and saw Mr. Holiman in the northbound #1 lane, near the double yellow lines, retrieving the surfboard. Mr. Grey began to slow his vehicle as he approached Mr. Holiman. As Mr. Grey got closer, he believed Mr. Holiman was going to run back to the right shoulder where the pickup was parked, and steered to the left in order to go around Mr. Holiman. However, instead of going back to the right shoulder, Mr. Holiman suddenly started moving to the west and directly into the path of Mr. Grey’s Honda. Mr. Grey was unable to avoid hitting Mr. Holiman with his vehicle and the right front of the Honda struck Mr. Holiman. As a result of the collision, Mr. Holiman rolled onto the hood of the Honda and struck the windshield. Following the collision, both Mr. Holiman and the Honda came to rest on the west shoulder of US 101.

Mr. Holiman suffered major injuries as a result of this collision, and was transported to St. Joseph’s hospital in Eureka, along with his eight year old son, who was in the pickup at the time and not involved in the collision. Mr. Grey and his passenger were also uninjured.

CHP Officer Solus is conducting the investigation. At this time, there is no prosecution anticipated. It is not believed that alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this collision. Anyone with information related to this collision is asked to call the Humboldt California Highway Patrol office at 707-822-5981.