NICE, Calif. – A Willits man suffered major injuries early Tuesday when his car collided head-on with a semi and then hit a pickup truck.

Duane Roork, 57, was flown to an out-of-county hospital after the wreck, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

The other drivers involved, Jose Gomez, 29, of Williams and Thomas York, 50, of Clearlake Oaks, both suffered minor injuries, the CHP said.

The CHP said that the crash occurred at 7:50 a.m. on Highway 20 east of Lakeshore Boulevard in Nice.

Roork was driving a blue 2009 Toyota Corolla westbound on Highway 20 at approximately 50 miles per hour, while Gomez was driving a 2012 Kenworth T660 semi truck towing a trailer eastbound at approximately 45 miles per hour. York was driving a white 2012 Dodge Ram pickup at 50 miles per hour westbound, directly behind Roork’s Toyota, the CHP said.

For reasons that the CHP said are yet to be determined, Roork allowed his vehicle to veer across the solid double yellow lines into the eastbound lane and directly in the semi truck’s path.

Gomez attempted to avoid Roork’s Toyota by turning to the right, but couldn’t prevent the head-on crash, the CHP said.

The crash pushed Roork’s Toyota across the westbound lane, where it hit York’s pickup. The CHP said Roork’s car came to rest on its wheels on the highway’s north shoulder, while the semi stopped partially up the north embankment to the east of the car. York’s pickup truck also ended up on the north shoulder.

The CHP said all three drivers were wearing their seat belts.

Roork sustained major injuries including a broken ankle and punctured lung and was airlifted by a REACH air ambulance to Kaiser Hospital in Vacaville, the CHP said.

Gomez had a complaint of pain to the left side of his hip and York had neck and lower back pain. The CHP said both were treated at the scene for minor injuries and released.

The CHP said it appeared that fatigue was a contributing factor in the wreck. The collision’s cause still remains under investigation.

The crash initially blocked both lanes of the highway, and it took several hours to remove the Toyota and semi from the scene.

The crash left a large trail of debris on the north side of the highway and across the road. A Caltrans plow truck helped remove broken glass and car parts from the highway.

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