KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol reported that a Friday night head-on crash near Kelseyville that injured nine people occurred after one of the drivers first hit a mountain lion.

The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office said the two-vehicle crash occurred at 10:23 p.m. Friday on Highway 29 north of Soda Bay Road.

Natividad Sanchez, 40, of Kelseyville, was driving a 1999 Ford F-150 pickup northbound on Highway 29 with five passengers when she hit a mountain lion, the CHP said.

The crash with the big cat caused Sanchez to swerve to the left, and the CHP said that the pickup went sideways into the southbound lane of Highway 29.

Daniel Lou Aguilera, 71, of Kelseyville, was driving his Lexus RX300 sport utility vehicle southbound on Highway 29 with two passengers, directly toward the right side of the Ford F-150, the CHP said.

The CHP reported that Aguilera was unable to react or stop before the front of his Lexus collided with the right side of the Ford, leaving both vehicles inoperable with major damage.

Reports from the scene said the collision killed the mountain lion, which firefighters found en route to the wreck site.

A total of four air ambulances and five ground ambulances were needed to transport patients, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wink.

The CHP said both Sanchez and Aguilera suffered major injuries and were flown to regional trauma centers, Sanchez to UC Davis Medical Center and Aguilera to Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center.

Also transported by air ambulance with major injuries were Sanchez’s passengers Francisco Gaspar and 52-year-old Ceniada Zuniga, both of Kelseyville. The CHP said Francisco Gaspar was taken to Vacaville and Zuniga to UC Davis.

Sanchez’s remaining passengers, Perla Gaspar, 14, and Angeles Gaspar, 16, each with moderate injuries, and Carlos Gaspar, 17, with minor injuries – all from Kelseyville – were all taken by ground ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport, the CHP said.

Aguilera’s passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital in Clearlake. The CHP identified them as Oscar Enrique Zayas Bazan, 65, of Florida, and Mariela Mercedes Grillettar Redonido, 50, of Venezuela.

The CHP said Zuniga, Carlos Gaspar, Francisco Gaspar and Perla Gaspar were not wearing seat belts at the time of the wreck.

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