Highway 36 crash kills unidentified Los Molinos woman

An unidentified Los Molinos woman was killed in a June 2 crash on Highway 36 near Mineral, and the driver suffered major injuries.

According to a statement from the California Highway Patrol, a white Lincoln MKZ was traveling westbound on Highway 36 west of Mineral about 4:38 p.m. Thursday, June 9, when for unknown reasons the driver, Rick Lizotte, 62 of Los Molinos, failed to negotiate a slight curve in the roadway and struck a large tree.

Lizotte was flown to Mercy Medical Center with major injuries.  His 60-year-old female passenger, also from Los Molinos — name withheld pending coroner notification of the next of kin — was pronounced deceased at the scene. This collision is currently under investigation.