LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol has arrested two men in connection to a fatal November hit-and-run near Upper Lake.

The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office said Phillip Ferris Harrison, 35, of Potter Valley was arrested for hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, conspiracy and concealing evidence, and Kirk David Hamilton, 48, of Upper Lake was arrested for conspiring to cover up the crash, making criminal threats, intimidating witnesses and possession of a dirk or dagger.

Harrison is charged with the death on Nov. 19 of 57-year-old James Jobe Carpenter of Potter Valley, the CHP said.

At 3:30 p.m. Nov. 19, CHP personnel were dispatched to a possible hit-and-run traffic collision involving a pedestrian, as Lake County News has reported.

The CHP said Harrison told officers at the scene that he was driving his Dodge Ram 2500 eastbound on Elk Mountain Road near the Blue Slide area when he noticed Carpenter lying on the side of the road.

Harrison said he responded to a nearby residence to seek help, and he and the resident returned to the scene, loaded Carpenter into the back of the vehicle and transported him to the Soda Creek Store to call 911. Harrison then began CPR until medical personnel arrived on scene and pronounced Carpenter deceased, the CHP said.

The CHP said that in the weeks to follow, a joint effort between the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office, CHP’s Northern Division Investigative Services Unit and the Lake County District Attorney’s Investigator’s Office resulted in a followup investigation leading to several search warrants being served and the arrests of Harrison and Hamilton.

Through the investigation, it was determined Harrison was driving his 1979 International water truck delivering a load of water to a private residence at 27363 Elk Mountain Road where 30-year-old Jayson Malson of Upper Lake and Carpenter were waiting for him, the CHP said.

Harrison followed Malson and Carpenter onto the property down a steep road within the property to the delivery location. The CHP said Malson had parked his Subaru in the road and both Malson and Carpenter had exited the Subaru.

Harrison lost control and the front of the International hit the Subaru and ultimately collided with Carpenter, causing injuries leading to his death. Carpenter was transported to Soda Creek Store to seek medical aid, the CHP said.

Soon after the crash, Harrison contacted Hamilton – his friend and a nearby resident. The CHP said the two of them then conspired to conceal and destroy evidence from the crash and the location where it occurred.

Over the following few days, Hamilton also made repeated visits to witnesses where he made criminal threats to harm them in order to keep them from coming forward regarding the facts about the crash, the CHP said.

On Dec. 12, the CHP warrant service team, Lake County District Attorney’s Office investigators and the US Forest service executed a search warrant at Hamilton’s property, the CHP said.

As a result of the search warrant, the CHP said evidence pertaining to the crash was located on the property where Hamilton was residing and soon after he was located and interviewed and arrested.

District attorney’s investigators later determined Hamilton was a prohibited person in possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition, and they are currently seeking separate charges, the CHP said.

On Monday, Harrison met with CHP investigators and was arrested, the CHP said.

Both men remain in custody, with Harrison being held with bail set at $100,000 and Hamilton’s bail set at $1 million for the threatening witnesses charge, according to jail records.