Ukiah man identified after fatal car crash in Mendocino County

A Ukiah man was identified Thursday as the driver killed in a crash on Highway 101 south of Willits Saturday afternoon.

John Isom, 37, died when his car plunged 100 feet down an embankment near Ridgewood Ranch Road and overturned at about 12:40 p.m., the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said.

His Chevrolet Malibu landed on makeshift concrete barriers that Caltrans had placed off the road, the California Highway Patrol reported earlier this week.

Isom, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was the only occupant of the car.

The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, but officials said speed may have played a role and that the road was slippery after brief rainfall in the area.

About 0.07 inches fell near Willits on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service's Eureka office.

Reach staff writer Colin Atagi at [email protected]. Follow on Twitter @colin_atagi