Man killed in crash; other driver sought

A suspect in a fatal Williams crash eluded authorities Wednesday during an intense manhunt hindered by fog.

An El Dorado County man died in the accident that injured his wife and daughter.

Jeffrey Marshall Patton, 49, of Shingle Springs, was pinned in the driver's seat of his 2005 Toyota Sequoia SUV and died at the scene, said California Highway Patrol spokesman John Waggoner.

His wife, Nancy Jean Patton, 49, was transported to Colusa Regional Medical Center with minor injuries and was treated and released, Waggoner said.

Their daughter, 30-year-old Olivia Daun Patton, was ejected and was also taken to CRMC with major injuries. She was later transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and was listed in "fair" condition Wednesday evening.

The driver of the Ford F-150 pickup left his wrecked truck and fled, possibly on foot, before officers arrived, the CHP reported.

Both vehicles were traveling north on I-5 near Myers Road about 3:30 a.m. toward Williams in a heavy fog when they collided, the CHP said.

The collision forced the pickup off the road where it overturned into a power pole.

"At this point, we have no idea how many people may have been in the Ford, but the investigation is ongoing," Waggoner said. No witnesses have come forward.

The SUV traveled through the center divide and overturned several times before coming to a stop on its roof in the right lane of southbound I-5.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. No evidence of drugs or alcohol was found at the scene, Waggoner said.

Officers from CHP's Williams office, with assistance from the K-9 unit of the Williams Police Department and a Colusa County Sheriff's Department deputy, searched the area for nearly three hours but were unable to locate the driver of the pickup or any passengers.

Four rural county residents were without power for about five hours as PG&E work crews repaired the damaged pole and downed power lines, PG&E spokesman Brian Swanson said.

Waggoner said dense fog prevented CHP helicopters from participating in the search. The helicopters are equipped with infrared tracking equipment, but neither one could take off safely in the thick fog, he said.

Contact Rob Parsons at 458-2121 or rparsons@tcnpress.com.