A fiery head-on crash on Highway 299 near Whiskeytown Lake outside Redding, California killed five people and left one person with major injuries Saturday night, September 19, 2026. According to the California Highway Patrol, a Honda Civic carrying three occupants was traveling westbound just before 9:10 p.m. when it crossed the double yellow lines east of Whiskey Creek Road and struck an eastbound 2007 Toyota Prius carrying three people head-on. All three occupants of the Honda and the driver of the Prius were pronounced dead at the scene. One of the two Prius passengers was taken to a hospital and later died, while the other suffered major injuries.
According to kymkemp.com, both vehicles burst into flames on impact, with at least one occupant trapped inside, and the fire briefly spread into nearby vegetation before crews contained it. The outlet reported that Highway 299 was shut down in both directions for hours while CHP investigators and fire crews worked the scene. Investigators have not yet determined why the Honda crossed into the oncoming lane, and CHP is withholding the names of those killed until next of kin are notified. Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP’s Redding office at (530) 225-0500.
