LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Highway Patrol has released additional information on a Sunday night crash involving an unlicensed 13-year-old driver that injured her and most of her five passengers.

The CHP’s Clear Lake Area office said the crash occurred at 10:13 p.m. Sunday at 2450 Hill Road in north Lakeport.

The report said the juvenile driver, who is from Upper Lake, was driving a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta southbound on Hill Road at a high rate of speed, with four minor passengers in the backseat and a 20-year-old passenger, Alexis Miller of Willows, the vehicle’s owner, in the right front seat. All are reported to be related.

For reasons that the CHP said are so far unknown, the minor driver failed to see the yield sign as well as the upcoming transition and turn in the roadway, and didn’t properly slow to negotiate the turn.  

The CHP said the Jetta traveled across Hill Road where it hit a telephone pole, continued through a fence and ultimately hit a tree where it came to rest.  

None of the vehicle’s occupants were properly restrained in seat belts, and several sustained major injuries, the CHP said.

Officers gave field sobriety tests and it was determined that alcohol impairment was not a factor in the crash, according to the report.

Both the driver and Miller as well as two other passengers suffered major injuries in the crash, the CHP said.

The driver sustained a broken left ankle and was taken to Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital for treatment, the CHP said, while Miller had a broken right arm and left leg along with facial lacerations and was taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

The CHP said the 17-year-old passenger from Lakeport had lacerations to his face and the 12-year-old male from Lucerne had a broken right leg. Both were assessed with major injuries and taken to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

A 15-year-old male from Upper Lake was uninjured and a 16-year-old, whose gender was not listed, had a bloody nose and sought their own medical aid, the report said.

Radio reports indicated that the crash victims could not be flown out of the county due to weather.

Reports from the scene stated a dog was injured and transported to a veterinary clinic for treatment. 

Due to most of the crash victims being underage, the CHP said it was limited in the information it could release.

The CHP said further investigation is ongoing into potential charges against the driver as well as Miller. 

Officer Blake Bartlett is leading the crash investigation.

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