{"id":94144,"date":"2026-05-08T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/hwy-20-williams-dui-head-on-double-fatal\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T23:47:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T23:47:38","slug":"hwy-20-williams-dui-head-on-double-fatal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/es\/hwy-20-williams-dui-head-on-double-fatal\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Killed in Head-On DUI Crash on Highway 20 Near Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- =========================\n     LOCAL ACCIDENT NEWS ARTICLE - SCRANTON LAW FIRM\n     NEW DRAFT: Hwy 20 Williams DUI head-on double fatal (May 8, 2026)\n     ========================= -->\n\n<!--\nMETA TITLE:\nHwy 20 DUI Head-On Crash Near Williams Kills 2 (May 8)\n\nMETA DESCRIPTION:\nA May 8 head-on crash on Highway 20 west of Williams killed two people. A Garberville man, Keith Wittlake, was booked on felony DUI manslaughter.\n\nSUGGESTED SLUG:\nhwy-20-williams-dui-head-on-double-fatal\n-->\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"NewsArticle\",\n      \"headline\": \"Two Killed in Head-On DUI Crash on Highway 20 Near Williams (May 8, 2026)\",\n      \"description\": \"A late-night head-on collision on State Route 20 west of Williams in Colusa County killed two people on May 8, 2026. A Garberville man, Keith Wittlake, was booked on felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.\",\n      \"datePublished\": \"2026-05-08T12:00:00-07:00\",\n      \"dateModified\": \"2026-05-08T12:00:00-07:00\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Scranton Law Firm\",\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/#organization\"\n      },\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Scranton Law Firm\",\n        \"logo\": {\n          \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n          \"url\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scranton_Law_Firm_Logo.svg\"\n        },\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/#organization\"\n      },\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n        \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n        \"@id\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/hwy-20-williams-dui-head-on-double-fatal\/\"\n      },\n      \"keywords\": [\n        \"Highway 20 DUI crash\",\n        \"Williams California head-on\",\n        \"Colusa County fatal accident\",\n        \"Keith Wittlake\",\n        \"Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated\",\n        \"Penal Code 191.5\",\n        \"DUI wrongful death California\"\n      ],\n      \"about\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Place\",\n          \"name\": \"Westbound State Route 20, west of King Road, near Williams, Colusa County, CA\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n      \"itemListElement\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 1,\n          \"name\": \"Home\",\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 2,\n          \"name\": \"Local Accident News\",\n          \"item\": \"https:\/\/scrantonlawfirm.com\/local-accident-news\/\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n          \"position\": 3,\n          \"name\": \"Two Killed in Head-On DUI Crash on Hwy 20 Near Williams, May 8, 2026\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"How does a criminal DUI conviction affect a civil wrongful death case?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"In California, a guilty plea or jury verdict in a felony DUI manslaughter case can collaterally estop the defendant from contesting fault in the civil case. That means the same conduct that supported the criminal conviction is often treated as established for the civil claim, and the civil trial can focus on damages rather than relitigating who caused the crash.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Do families have to wait for the criminal case to end before filing a civil lawsuit?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"No. California gives families two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, and the civil case can proceed in parallel with the criminal prosecution. Filing early protects evidence, locks in witness statements, and allows civil discovery to move while memories are fresh.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Are punitive damages available against a drunk driver in California?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Yes, in appropriate cases. California courts have long recognized that driving while impaired and causing a crash can support punitive damages under Civil Code section 3294 when the conduct is proven by clear and convincing evidence of malice or conscious disregard for the safety of others. Felony DUI manslaughter conduct frequently meets that bar.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What if the impaired driver's insurance does not cover the loss?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Families should check their own auto and umbrella policies for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UM\/UIM). California UM\/UIM often stacks across vehicles in the household and can be a significant source of recovery when the at-fault driver carries minimum limits. Employer-issued vehicle policies and any commercial coverage should also be reviewed.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What is the difference between regular vehicular manslaughter and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Vehicular manslaughter under California Penal Code section 192(c) covers the unlawful killing of a person without malice in the operation of a vehicle. Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under Penal Code section 191.5(a) requires both DUI conduct and gross negligence, and it carries significantly higher prison exposure. The 'gross' label, as charged here, signals that prosecutors view the conduct as far beyond ordinary negligence.\"\n          }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n\n\n<style>\n  .entry-title, .page-title, .post-title, .elementor-page-title, h1.entry-title,\n  .entry-header, header.entry-header, .article-header, .post-header,\n  .single-post .site-main > article > header,\n  .single-post .site-main article > .entry-header,\n  .inside-article > header,\n  .ast-single-post-header,\n  .blog-layout-1 .post-content > header { display: none !important; }\n  :root { --slf-red: #C02C26; --slf-gold: #D4AF37; --slf-dark: #0f0f0f; --slf-light-gray: #f8f8f8; --slf-border: #e0e0e0; --font-main: inherit; }\n  .slf-news-article * { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }\n  .slf-news-article { font-family: var(--font-main); color: #111; background: #fff; line-height: 1.7; }\n  .slf-news-hero { background: #fff; padding: 80px 20px 50px; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; }\n  .slf-news-hero-wrap { max-width: 800px; 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The California Highway Patrol arrested a Garberville man, Keith Wittlake, and booked him on felony charges of driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. SR-20 was closed for roughly five hours overnight as investigators worked the scene.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n  <div class=\"slf-facts-map-grid\">\n    <div class=\"slf-quick-facts-card\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-header\"><h2>Incident Summary<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-body\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Type<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Head-on collision, suspected DUI<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Location<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Westbound State Route 20, just west of King Road, near Williams (Colusa County)<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Date<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Friday, May 8, 2026<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Time<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Approximately 10:24 p.m.<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Vehicles<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">White sedan and black SUV, both with catastrophic front-end damage<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Fatalities<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value fatal\">2 pronounced dead at the scene; names withheld pending notification<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Driver Arrested<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Keith Wittlake, Garberville (Humboldt County)<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Charges<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Agency<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">California Highway Patrol (Williams area); Colusa County Coroner; Caltrans<\/div><\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-row\"><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-label\">Source Strength<\/div><div class=\"slf-quick-facts-value\">Strong (CHP confirmation plus multiple regional outlets)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n    <div class=\"slf-map-card\"><div class=\"slf-map-header\"><h3>Crash Area<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"slf-map-embed\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps?q=State+Route+20+King+Road+Williams+CA&#038;output=embed\" loading=\"lazy\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" title=\"Map for State Route 20 near King Road, Williams, CA\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"slf-map-footer\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/State+Route+20+King+Road+Williams+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Open in Google Maps<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n  <article class=\"slf-news-content\"><div class=\"slf-news-content-wrap\">\n\n<h2>What CHP and Local Reporting Say Happened<\/h2>\n<p>According to the California Highway Patrol's Williams area office and reporting from Kym Kemp, the Sacramento Injury Attorneys Blog, Maison Law, and Culver Legal, the crash occurred at roughly 10:24 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. A white sedan and a black SUV were traveling on State Route 20 west of King Road, in a rural stretch of Colusa County, when the two vehicles met nose to nose in a full head-on impact. The front ends of both cars were destroyed. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene.<\/p>\n<p>State Route 20 was closed for approximately five hours overnight while CHP investigators, the Colusa County Coroner, and Caltrans documented the wreckage and cleared the roadway. In the hours after the crash, CHP confirmed that Keith Wittlake of Garberville in Humboldt County had been arrested. Follow-up CHP statements, carried by Kym Kemp on May 12, reaffirmed that two people were killed and that Wittlake was booked on felony charges including driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Wittlake was transported to a local hospital for evaluation before being booked into county custody, consistent with standard CHP procedure following a fatal DUI investigation.<\/p>\n<p>As of the most recent source reporting, CHP had not released the names of the two deceased victims, citing pending family notification. The investigation remains open and toxicology results from the involved driver had not been publicly disclosed at the time of source coverage.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Why This Stretch of Highway 20 Punishes Mistakes So Severely<\/h2>\n<p>State Route 20 is a two-lane east-west connector that runs from the coast through the Coast Range and into the Sacramento Valley, passing through small towns including Upper Lake, Clearlake Oaks, and Williams. The highway carries a mix of regional commuters, truck traffic, and travelers moving between Interstate 5 and Highway 101. There is no median to separate oncoming traffic for most of its length, and large stretches have no shoulder either.<\/p>\n<p>That geometry is unforgiving. On a two-lane undivided highway, a centerline departure of even a few feet by a fatigued, distracted, or impaired driver can produce an immediate full-speed head-on collision. Federal Highway Administration data has consistently shown that rural two-lane highways carry a head-on collision fatality rate far higher than urban arterials of comparable traffic volume, and head-on impacts at combined closing speeds of 100 mph or more are commonly survivable by no one.<\/p>\n\n<h2>The Criminal-to-Civil Bridge: Why a DUI Conviction Reshapes the Wrongful Death Case<\/h2>\n<p>For families who have lost a loved one to a drunk driver, the most consequential question is rarely the criminal sentence. It is what the criminal case unlocks on the civil side. California's civil and criminal systems run on parallel tracks after a fatal DUI crash, and the way those tracks interact often decides how much, and how fast, a family can recover.<\/p>\n<p>A felony charge for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under California Penal Code section 191.5(a) reflects the prosecutor's view that the conduct involved both DUI and gross negligence. That is a meaningful step up from ordinary vehicular manslaughter under Penal Code section 192(c). If the criminal case ends in a guilty plea or a jury verdict, the same conduct that supported the criminal conviction can collaterally estop the defendant from contesting fault in the civil case. The civil trial can then focus almost entirely on damages, rather than relitigating who caused the crash.<\/p>\n<p>Families do not need to wait for the criminal case to finish before filing a civil suit. California's wrongful death statute of limitations is generally two years from the date of death under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Filing early matters. It preserves physical evidence, locks in witness statements, and allows civil discovery to begin against the at-fault driver, his insurance carrier, and any other party that may share responsibility.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Wrongful Death, Punitive Exposure, and Stacking the Coverage<\/h2>\n<p>California Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 governs which heirs may bring a wrongful death claim. Surviving spouses, registered domestic partners, children, and (in certain circumstances) parents, siblings, or other dependent relatives are eligible plaintiffs. Recoverable damages may include lost financial support, lost household services, lost love, companionship, comfort, care, society, attention, moral support, and guidance, and reasonable funeral and burial expenses. With two decedents from a single crash, two separate <a href=\"\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/\">wrongful death actions<\/a> can be coordinated to maximize recovery against the available insurance and assets.<\/p>\n<p>Punitive damages are a second pressure point. California Civil Code section 3294 permits punitive damages where the defendant acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, proven by clear and convincing evidence. Long-standing California Supreme Court authority recognizes that driving under the influence can support punitive damages because operating a vehicle while impaired is conduct that shows a conscious disregard for the safety of others. Punitive exposure can be meaningful even when the at-fault driver has limited personal assets, because it can force disclosure of every available policy and pressure insurers to settle within policy limits rather than risk a runaway verdict.<\/p>\n<p>Coverage often reaches further than families realize. The at-fault driver's own auto policy is the starting point. Beyond that, the surviving families' own auto and umbrella policies may include uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM\/UIM) coverage that pays out when the at-fault driver's limits are inadequate. UM\/UIM coverage often stacks across vehicles in a single household. Employer-issued vehicles, commercial coverage, and any business that may have provided the at-fault driver with a vehicle should all be examined.<\/p>\n\n<h2>The Quiet Question: Where Did the Alcohol Come From?<\/h2>\n<p>One investigative thread that often gets overlooked in a DUI manslaughter case is the source of the alcohol itself. California Business and Professions Code section 25602.1 creates a narrow but real \"dram shop\" cause of action against any commercial vendor who served alcohol to an \"obviously intoxicated\" minor that later caused a crash. When the impaired driver was over 21, the dram-shop path is generally closed by Civil Code section 1714, but a careful civil investigation should still trace the driver's evening to identify any place of service. Where alcohol was provided to a minor, or where service patterns suggest a violation, counsel can preserve any bar, restaurant, or social-host liability that the facts will support.<\/p>\n<p>That investigation has to happen early. Bar surveillance footage is routinely overwritten within 30 days. Server schedules and credit-card receipts can be lost, employees move on, and witness memories fade. The same preservation discipline that applies to a commercial trucking case applies here too.<\/p>\n\n<h2>What Comes Next for the Wittlake Case<\/h2>\n<p>On the criminal side, prosecutors in Colusa County will move through the standard arraignment, preliminary hearing, and pretrial sequence. Toxicology results, the CHP collision report, and any prior driving record will all become part of the file. On the civil side, the surviving families, once they have completed family notification and received the CHP report, can begin the work of identifying heirs, preserving evidence, and putting every relevant insurer on notice that a wrongful death claim is coming. The criminal sentence may include restitution, but criminal restitution is generally not a substitute for the broader compensatory and punitive damages available in a civil action. Families who consult a <a href=\"\/drunk-driving-accident-lawyer\/\">DUI accident lawyer<\/a>, a <a href=\"\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/\">wrongful death lawyer<\/a>, or a <a href=\"\/car-accident-lawyer\/\">car accident lawyer<\/a> in the weeks after a crash like this one usually have the strongest options.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"slf-stats-grid\">\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">0.08%<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">is the California per se blood alcohol concentration threshold for adult drivers under Vehicle Code section 23152(b). Stricter limits apply to commercial and underage drivers.<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: California Vehicle Code 23152<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">2 years<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">is the general California statute of limitations for a wrongful death lawsuit, with shorter administrative windows when a public agency is involved.<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">191.5(a)<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">Penal Code section that defines gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, carrying significantly higher prison exposure than ordinary vehicular manslaughter under section 192(c).<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: California Penal Code section 191.5<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-stat-card\"><div class=\"slf-stat-number\">~5 hrs<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-label\">that westbound State Route 20 was closed overnight while CHP investigators, the Colusa County Coroner, and Caltrans worked the scene.<\/div><div class=\"slf-stat-source\">Source: CHP Williams area, May 9, 2026<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"slf-legal-options\">\n<div class=\"slf-legal-option\"><div class=\"slf-legal-option-header\"><h3>Source Note<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"slf-legal-option-body\"><p>This article is based on publicly accessible reporting reviewed in the days after the crash. Facts are limited to what CHP and local press released and should be updated if investigators identify the victims, file additional charges, or release toxicology results.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"slf-legal-option\"><div class=\"slf-legal-option-header\"><h3>Why This Case Type Matters<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"slf-legal-option-body\"><p>DUI manslaughter cases sit at the intersection of two systems. The criminal case can lock in fault for the civil case, and the civil case can reach damages and punitive exposure that the criminal sentence cannot touch. Families who act early give themselves access to both tracks while the evidence is still fresh.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/article>\n  <section class=\"slf-news-faq\"><div class=\"slf-news-faq-wrap\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">How does a criminal DUI conviction affect a civil wrongful death case?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">In California, a guilty plea or jury verdict in a felony DUI manslaughter case can collaterally estop the defendant from contesting fault in the civil case. That means the same conduct that supported the criminal conviction is often treated as established for the civil claim, and the civil trial can focus on damages rather than relitigating who caused the crash.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">Do families have to wait for the criminal case to end before filing a civil lawsuit?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">No. California gives families two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, and the civil case can proceed in parallel with the criminal prosecution. Filing early protects evidence, locks in witness statements, and allows civil discovery to move while memories are fresh.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">Are punitive damages available against a drunk driver in California?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">Yes, in appropriate cases. California courts have long recognized that driving while impaired and causing a crash can support punitive damages under Civil Code section 3294 when the conduct is proven by clear and convincing evidence of malice or conscious disregard for the safety of others. Felony DUI manslaughter conduct frequently meets that bar.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">What if the impaired driver's insurance does not cover the loss?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">Families should check their own auto and umbrella policies for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UM\/UIM). California UM\/UIM often stacks across vehicles in the household and can be a significant source of recovery when the at-fault driver carries minimum limits. Employer-issued vehicle policies and any commercial coverage should also be reviewed.<\/div><\/div>\n  <div class=\"slf-faq-item\"><div class=\"slf-faq-question\">What is the difference between regular vehicular manslaughter and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated?<\/div><div class=\"slf-faq-answer\">Vehicular manslaughter under California Penal Code section 192(c) covers the unlawful killing of a person without malice in the operation of a vehicle. Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated under Penal Code section 191.5(a) requires both DUI conduct and gross negligence, and it carries significantly higher prison exposure. The \"gross\" label, as charged here, signals that prosecutors view the conduct as far beyond ordinary negligence.<\/div><\/div>\n  <\/div><\/section>\n  <section class=\"slf-news-related\"><div class=\"slf-news-related-wrap\"><h2>Related Resources<\/h2><div class=\"slf-related-grid\">\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/drunk-driving-accident-lawyer\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label practice\">Practice Area<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">DUI Accident Lawyer<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">How California civil claims work against impaired drivers and the layered coverage involved.<\/div><\/a>\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/wrongful-death-lawyer\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label practice\">Practice Area<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">Wrongful Death Lawyer<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">Statutory heirs and recoverable damages under California Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60.<\/div><\/a>\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/car-accident-lawyer\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label practice\">Practice Area<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">Car Accident Lawyer<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">What evidence matters most after a serious California vehicle collision.<\/div><\/a>\n  <a class=\"slf-related-card\" href=\"\/contact\/\"><div class=\"slf-related-label resource\">Resource<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-title\">Free Case Consultation<\/div><div class=\"slf-related-desc\">Talk through your options with a member of our team, with no fee or pressure to hire.<\/div><\/a>\n  <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n  <section class=\"slf-news-cta\"><div class=\"slf-news-cta-wrap\"><h2>Lost a Family Member to a Drunk Driver in California?<\/h2><p class=\"slf-news-cta-sub\">A criminal case can lock in fault. A civil case can reach the damages a criminal sentence cannot. Families who move early get access to both.<\/p><div class=\"slf-news-cta-phone\"><a href=\"tel:+18007070707\">800-707-0707<\/a><\/div><a class=\"slf-news-cta-btn\" href=\"\/contact\/\">Request a Free Consultation<\/a><p class=\"slf-news-cta-trust\">No fluff, no guesswork. Just a serious look at what happened and what options may exist.<\/p><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A late-night head-on crash on State Route 20 west of Williams killed two people on May 8, 2026. 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