Month: October 2022

By Larry Judkins

Glenn County Observer

On Tuesday, the California Highway Patrol issued a news release regarding the hit and run crash that occurred on Highway 99 on Saturday.

According to the CHP, at about 5:50 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, Barbara Everest, 74, of Orland, was driving a 2009 Toyota Venza SUV south on Highway 99, just north of County Road 24.

An unknown male was driving a 2007 Pontiac G5 south on Highway 99, behind the Toyota.

For an unknown reason, the front of the Pontiac collided with the rear of the Toyota, causing the Toyota to overturn.

Following the collision, the driver of the Pontiac made a U-turn and fled north on Highway 99.

A citizen informed The Observer on Monday that the grandson of the two victims in the Toyota later found a car matching the description of the Pontiac, with damage to its front end, abandoned on County Road E between County Roads 15 and 17.

As reported in The Observer on Sunday, after being struck, the Toyota continued south perhaps a hundred yards or so, overturning and coming to rest on its driver side.

Its two occupants, driver Barbara Everest and her passenger, Joe Everest, 75, of Orland, were stuck inside and had to be extricated by Orland firefighters using the “Jaws of Life.”

The Enloe FlightCare medical helicopter was dispatched to scene of the crash. It landed in the middle of Highway 99, south of the scene, but the Everests were instead transported by ground ambulance to Enloe Medical Center in Chico.

According to CHP Officer Barone, both occupants of the Toyota sustained minor injuries. Barbara Everest’s apparent injuries consisted of pain to her neck and back, and a contusion to her stomach, while Joe Everest’s apparent injuries consisted of lacerations to his scalp and right arm.

Both were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision.

The CHP requests that if anyone has information regarding this case, please contact Officer Barone at 530-934-5424.

By Larry Judkins

Glenn County Observer

Very late Saturday afternoon, Oct. 1, a collision on Highway 99 at County Road 24 caused one of the two vehicles involved to roll over, injuring and trapping its occupants inside.

Meanwhile, the other vehicle and its driver took off, although pieces of the vehicle were apparently left behind. It looked like quite a few witnesses remained at the scene as well.

Emergency responders began to be dispatched at about 5:52 p.m. No official news report has yet been released, but observations at the scene strongly suggest that the vehicle that rolled over, a minivan, was traveling south on Highway 99 when it was struck by another vehicle at County Road 24.

The minivan continued south perhaps a hundred yards or so, rolling over and coming to rest on its driver side. Its two occupants, a man and a woman, were stuck inside and had to be extricated by Orland firefighters using the “Jaws of Life.”

The Enloe FlightCare medical helicopter was quickly dispatched. It landed in the middle of Highway 99, south of the accident scene, but it did not appear that either of the accident victims was transported in it and they were instead taken to the hospital in a ground ambulance.

More than one sighting of a vehicle thought by the callers to be the one that fled the scene were reported during the evening. However, at least one of these sightings may have been of a vehicle involved in another hit and run (vehicle versus pedestrian) that happened about 8 p.m. in front of Circle K on Wood Street in Willows.

The vehicle from the Circle K accident has been described as a grey four-door car, possibly with a broken headlight lens. As of right now, The Observer has received no description of the vehicle that fled the crash at Highway 99 and Road 24.

Watch here for an update on Monday or Tuesday.