Arcata woman ID’d in fatal Highway 101 crash near Willits that injured 3 others

A 76-year-old Humboldt County woman was identified Friday after she died in a Wednesday crash on Highway 101 near Willits in Mendocino County, which hospitalized three others.

On Friday, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman as Wendy Marcus, of Arcata.

According to the California Highway Patrol, around 4 p.m. Wednesday, a silver Jeep was headed south on Highway 101 near the Ridgewood weigh station.

“Due to roadway conditions,” the Jeep’s driver, a 70-year-old man from Willits, lost control and veered into the northbound lanes directly into the path of a silver Hyundai.

The Hyundai’s driver, Marcus, succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

Both the Jeep’s driver and the Hyundai’s 74-year-old passenger were taken to Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits with major injuries. A 39-year-old Willits man, who was the Jeep’s passenger, was also hospitalized for minor injuries.

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8531 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.