Authorities identified 43-year-old James Torrey Jr. as the man who lost his life after being hit by a suspected drunk driver early Wednesday in Clearlake.
As per the initial information, the fatal auto-pedestrian crash took place just before 1 a.m. on Highway 53 just north of Dam Road. The incident took the life of James Torrey Jr. of Clearlake. The driver in the crash was identified as 27-year-old James Nielsen. Officers actively responded to the scene at about 1 a.m.
The preliminary investigation showed that a Toyota Tacoma driven by Nielsen struck Torrey. Torrey received major injuries and was declared dead at the scene, while Nielsen incurred minor injuries. As a result of the investigation and based upon probable cause, officers detained Nielsen on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and vehicular manslaughter.
He was booked into the Lake County Jail and released later on Wednesday. A part of Highway 53 was shut down until just after 6:30 a.m. Wednesday during the investigation. No further details are available.
An investigation is ongoing.
July 21, 2022
Source: Lake County News