LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two people were reported to have died in a head-on vehicle crash near Middletown late Saturday night.

The crash occurred on Highway 29 near the entrance to the Bar X Ranch north of Middletown shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, according to the California Highway Patrol and radio reports.

The wreck involved what the CHP described as a white van and a black pickup truck.

Authorities arriving at the scene found the highway completely blocked, with major injuries to two people who were trapped in one of the vehicles.

An air ambulance was requested to land at the Middletown Fire Station, with the CHP’s H-32 helicopter responding from Napa County. Oher air ambulances said they couldn’t take the flight due to weather, based on radio reports.

Just after 11:30 p.m., one of the trapped patients was reported to have died and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was requested to send a coroner.

As firefighters continued to extricate the second patient, incident command asked Cal Fire Dispatch to notify Caltrans about the need for an extended closure of the highway.

The CHP helicopter had already landed at the fire station when, just before 12:10 a.m. Sunday, firefighters finished extricating the second patient and incident command confirmed the second death over the radio.

Incident command reported just before 1 a.m. that Caltrans would need light towers and heavy debris removal equipment to clear the highway.

At that point, incident command said work was expected to continue at the crash scene for several hours.

More information will be published as it becomes available.

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.