The following is a press release issued by the California Highway Patrol Garberville Office:
On August 31, 2021, at approximately 1900 hours, a male in his mid 30s was driving a side-by-side UTV northbound on a dirt road on private property, approximately 9 miles south of the intersection on Island Mountain Road. For unknown reasons, the driver made an unsafe turning movement, causing the side-by-side UTV to overturn onto its left side. The driver was ejected during the overturn and the UTV struck him causing fatal injuries. The driver was discovered sometime later and rushed to Bell Springs Road, just north of Island Mountain Road, where he was pronounced dead by Paramedics.
The CHP Garberville Area is investigating this traffic collision. The name of the driver is being withheld pending identification and notification to next of kin by the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office. Drugs or alcohol as a factor will be determined upon a thorough collision investigation.
The CHP was assisted in this incident by Palo Verde Volunteer Fire Department, City Ambulance of Eureka and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
