MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Authorities said that two women died Saturday night in a head-on collision near Middletown.

The crash occurred on Highway 29 south of Grange Road at approximately 10:23 p.m. Saturday, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said two Clearlake women died in the wreck – one age 46, the other age 77 – but did not release their names Sunday pending the notification of next of kin.

The report said that the younger woman was driving a red 2011 Nissan Sentra southbound on Highway 29 south of Grange Road while the older woman was driving a blue 1999 Ford Ranger northbound.

The woman driving the Nissan crossed over the solid double yellow lines, traveling directly into the Ford’s path, which resulted in the head-on collision, according to the report.

Emergency personnel arriving on the scene found one of the women already had died, according to radio reports.

Firefighters then extricated the second woman, who the CHP said also died at the scene.

The report said the Nissan’s driver was wearing her seat belt while the Ford’s driver was not.

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

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