Willits man killed when speeding car runs off Highway 20

The driver died when his car struck a tree and overturned in the dark and was not found until fog lifted the next morning.|
GUY KOVNER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A 34-year-old Willits man was killed when his speeding car ran off Highway 20 near Willits in the dark late Sunday, struck a tree and overturned, the CHP said.

Due to darkness and a foggy morning, the crash was not reported until about 12:40 p.m. Monday, prompting a response by the CHP, Mendocino County sheriff's deputies and the Willits fire department, the CHP said in a press release Tuesday.

David Carlos Amador died at the time of the crash, the CHP said. His body was removed by firefighters who used pneumatic tools to pry open the wrecked Honda CR-V. Amador was not wearing a seat belt, the CHP said.

Amador was westbound on the highway at a high rate of speed when he lost control and failed to negotiate a curve in the road, the CHP said. The car left the road, crashed through a fence and went down a dirt embankment before hitting the tree.

Neither alcohol nor drugs was believed to be a factor in the crash, which is still under investigation.

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