Teen Girl Killed, Driver Hospitalized in Weitchpec Crash

A black Ford Ranger veered off Highway 96 near Weitchpec and slammed into a tree just after midnight Wednesday, killing a teenage girl who had to be pulled from the wreckage with the Jaws of Life and leaving the juvenile driver seriously injured.

The collision occurred around 12:15 a.m. on April 1 near mile marker 24.5, approximately half a mile east of New Village Road. California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Esselman confirmed the two juveniles, both from the Weitchpec area, were traveling southbound when the vehicle left the roadway.

Rescue crews used the Jaws of Life to extricate the female passenger from the crumpled cab. Paramedics administered CPR at the scene, but she was pronounced dead. The male driver was transported to a hospital with serious injuries.

Officer Esselman said investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash. The cause of why the Ranger left the road remains under investigation.

Highway 96 through the Weitchpec corridor winds through the steep river canyon where the Trinity meets the Klamath, a stretch defined by tight curves, minimal shoulder, and near-total darkness after nightfall. Mile marker 24.5 sits on a section with little margin for error at speed.

Neither juvenile has been publicly identified pending next-of-kin notification. The Humboldt County coroner's office is coordinating with the CHP as the investigation continues.