Laytonville man arrested on suspicion of DUI after fatal crash

A Laytonville man was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of DUI after a head-on crash in Mendocino County that killed another motorist and sent two of his own passengers to the hospital, the CHP said.

Shideewum Martinez, 22, was driving a 2003 GMC Sierra east on Branscomb Road when his vehicle slammed into an oncoming 1993 Ford Ranger shortly before 7:30 p.m., the CHP said. The driver of the Ranger, identified only as a 35-year-old San Francisco man, was killed. His name was withheld pending notification of his family.

The two vehicles collided in the center of the roadway for unknown reasons, the CHP said. Two passengers in the GMC were transported to the Mendocino Coast District Hospital in a private vehicle. They were identified as William M. Retzleff, 26, of Redwood Valley, and Corey James, 23, whose city of residence was unknown. They were treated for minor injuries and released, said CHP spokesman Rick Fowler.

Martinez was arrested on suspicion of DUI following the crash, Fowler said. The crash remained under investigation Friday and it was not known which driver caused the collision, he said.