LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Two local men were seriously injured in a Sunday afternoon crash in which the unusual weekend weather is believed to have played a part.

John Ritter, 55, of Hidden Valley Lake and Gary Reis, 65, of Kelseyville both sustained major injuries in the wreck, which occurred at 12:21 p.m. Sunday on Highway 29 north of Diener Drive, between Kelseyville and Lower Lake, according to the Clear Lake Area office of the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said Ritter was driving a 2015 Ford Edge SUV southbound on Highway 29 at approximately 55 miles per hour as Reis drove a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup northbound at approximately 45 miles per hour.

For reasons that the CHP said are yet to be determined, Ritter lost control of his SUV and crossed over the set of solid double yellow lines into the northbound lane and into the path of Reis’ pickup.

Reis was not able to avoid Ritter’s SUV, and the two vehicles collided head-on in the northbound lane, where both vehicles came to rest, blocking that lane, the CHP said.

The CHP said both Reis and Ritter were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision.

Ritter was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital while Reis was taken to Adventist Health Clear Lake for treatment, the CHP said.

The CHP said it appears that inclement weather conditions were a contributing factor in the cause of this collision.

Lake County residents reported a heavy hailstorm had occurred in the Lower Lake area late Sunday morning, not long before the crash was reported.

Following the crash, there also were reports of at least one other vehicle sliding off the roadway nearby, based on scanner traffic.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation, the CHP said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.