UPDATE: MONTGOMERY CREEK: Redding man killed in Hwy 299 head-on wreck ID’d

UPDATED: Saturday, Sept. 1, 3:30 p.m.

See original story below.

MONTGOMERY CREEK — Family members and friends of a Redding man who died in a head-on collision on Highway 299, Thursday morning, Aug. 30, have identified the victim killed in the wreck as Chris Liso.

Liso was president of Liso Pest Control and he was driving one of his company’s vehicles when the deadly head-on collision occurred.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the crash and have not released any additional details regarding their ongoing investigation.

ORIGINAL STORY: Pest control truck believed to have chemicals onboard involved in head-on wreck

MONTGOMERY CREEK — Two victims were airlifted with serious injuries after a head-on traffic collision on Highway 299 East, between Redding and Burney this morning. One victim was left trapped by the crash, which involved a pest control vehicle believed to be loaded with dangerous chemicals.

The major-injury crash, which created a traffic nightmare for late morning commuters, happened in front of Halcumb Cemetery in the unincorporated community of Montgomery Creek.

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CHP, Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire, and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene at 10:01 a.m., after receiving reports of a head-on collision between two pickup trucks, according to a CHP incident log.

Two air ambulances stand by, prepared to airlift two seriously injured motorists after a head-on, rollover collision on Hwy. 299 west of Fenders Ferry Road this morning. CHP Northern Division Air Operations photo

911 callers reported one of the vehicles had overturned and was on its side, west of Fenders Ferry Rd. Callers also advised there was at least one occupant trapped inside one of the heavily damaged vehicles and that both directions of travel were blocked by the wrecked trucks.

Within minutes, commuters began reporting via social media that eastbound traffic was backed up all the way to Mountain Community Center, while westbound traffic was stopped at Montgomery Creek Elementary School.

Prior to CHP’s arrival, a passing tow truck came upon the wreck and requested permission to drag the vehicles out of the roadway. However, because of the potential for dangerous or even deadly chemicals inside the pest control vehicle, CHP denied the request, indicating they would be arriving at the scene soon.

When officials arrived they found a silver Dodge Ram truck and green and white pickup truck with heavy front end damage. Vehicle parts and debris were scattered across several hundred feet of the highway, and traffic was at a standstill in both directions.

Based on the victim’s injuries, officials requested two air ambulances to the scene and witnesses stranded along the highway later reported the arrival of the helicopters. CHP’s Northern Division Air Operations later reported that one victim was transported by CHP’s H-16 and another was transported by PHI Redding‘s Med 4-3 to Mercy Hospital.

Based on evidence at the scene, the accident appeared to have happened along a long straight-away, within a two-way passing zone on the two-lane, mountain highway.

Burney resident, Sarah Welsh, later wrote about the crash on social media, explaining she was the second person to arrive at the scene and provided aid and comfort to the driver of the pest control truck. Welsh described the victim as “trapped with extreme trauma,” and asked others to pray for the man’s family.

Welsh explained she did her best to keep the man awake and stayed with him until firefighters managed to cut him free from his vehicle.

The westbound side of the highway was re-opened shortly after 11:30 a.m., and both lanes were open just before noon; however, CHP and other rescue personnel remained at the scene and were still at the location at 1:30 p.m.

CHP’s accident investigation is active and ongoing and officials have not yet released any information about the accident or updates regarding the nature or extent of the victim’s injuries.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

Two air ambulances stand by, prepared to airlift two seriously injured motorists after a head-on crash on Hwy 299. CHP Northern Division Air Operations photo

A PHI Air Ambulance sits by, waiting to transport one of two injured in the crash as CHP’s H-16 lifts off. CHP Northern Division Air Operations photo

Two trucks were destroyed in the head-on crash and firefighters had to extricate one of the drivers. John Luaces photo

CHP’s H-16 lifts off with an injured victim aboard, en route to Mercy Hospital. CHP Northern Division Air Operations photo

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.