LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A Middletown man died of his injuries following a solo-vehicle crash near Lower Lake on Thursday night.

The California Highway Patrol's Friday report on the crash did not release the 68-year-old man's name pending notification of family.

The CHP said the man, who was the solo occupant of a 2005 Buick Le Sabre, was driving northbound on Highway 29 north of Diener Drive at an unknown speed at approximately 10:13 p.m. Thursday when, for reasons still to be determined, he lost control of the car.

The Buick went off the road and hit a tree on the west shoulder of Highway 29, the CHP said.

The CHP said the vehicle came to rest on its wheels, facing an easterly direction and sitting partially within the southbound lane.

Traffic was stopped for a short time until the roadway could be cleared, according to the report.

As of the Friday report, the CHP said it was not known if the man had been wearing his seatbelt or if he was ejected from the vehicle. Officer Kory Reynolds clarified that the man was found outside of the vehicle by officers.

Due to the severity of his injuries, the man was transported by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where he died of his injuries, the CHP said.

The CHP said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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