Lakeport man jailed following fatal crash near Clear Lake

A 35-year-old Lakeport man was arrested early Wednesday after a fatal head-on crash along the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, east of Highway 29 near Clear Lake, authorities said.

Shortly before 7:30 a.m., according to a CHP collision report, Steven Pruitt was driving a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro west on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, just west of the Rodman Slough, about 76 miles northeast of Santa Rosa.

Pruitt, authorities said, allowed his vehicle to cross into the eastbound lane into oncoming traffic, where it collided with a light green 1996 Honda Civic, whose driver had been headed east on the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff.

“After the collision, the Chevrolet Camaro came to rest on the north edge of the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff and the Honda Civic came to rest on the south edge,” the report stated.

The driver of the Honda Civic was pronounced dead at the scene by the North Shore Fire Department, according to the CHP.

Pruitt, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, was found to be “under the influence of drugs and was placed under arrest,” according to the collision report.

He was medically cleared and later detained at the Lake County Jail, officials said.

The identity of the driver who was killed was not released Wednesday, pending notification of next of kin.

To send in a news tip email pdnews@pressdemocrat.com.