Oroville, CA : Two dead in head-on collision on Highway 70 near Middle Honcut Road on Saturday, July 9, 2016

Two people died Saturday afternoon in a collision on Highway 70 near Middle Honcut Road, south of Oroville.

Damage to a Subaru Forester with Illinois license plates was so severe that parts of the vehicle and contents were strewn across the dry grass on the east side of the highway.

A man and woman, who were passengers in the Subaru died. They had foreign passports and had travelled extensively, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Cliff Morrison said at the scene Saturday. The female driver was severely injured and transported to Enloe Medical Center in Chico.

Information on the police scanner shortly after the crash at 1:30 p.m. indicated that five people were transported from the scene, one with major injuries, two with moderate injuries, and two with minor injuries.

Morrison said based on witnesses accounts, as well as tire marks and the vehicles on the scene, the Subaru was traveling south at the posted speed limit of 55 mph. The car briefly swerved to the right and then suddenly swerved to the left into oncoming traffic, striking a Dodge Ram 2500 pickup on the front passenger side.

The pickup was towing a small enclosed trailer filled with musical instruments and sound equipment. Hours after the accident, several people loaded the equipment onto another trailer. The contents of the Subaru were scattered throughout the immediate area and included sleeping bags, a cooler and duffle bags filled with clothing.

The two deceased people were taken from the scene by the Butte County Coroner’s office a few hours after the crash.

Morrison did not immediately have conditions of the five survivors, nor did he know the exact hospitals where they were taken. Information, including names, ages and town of residence those involved was not immediately available.

Southbound traffic was diverted from Highway 70 to East Gridley Road until about 3 p.m., with drivers traveling north driving slowly around the accident scene.

At about the same time, another fender bender took place at the intersection north of the scene when a car crashed into a parked law enforcement vehicle that was controlling traffic.

Source :
Two dead in head-on collision on Highway 70