1 dead, 1 arrested after serious accident under the influence of alcohol on Highway 44 in Redding

REDDING, California — A passenger died in a car accident in Redding early Thursday morning.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.

The collision occurred on Highway 44 East between the Old Oregon Trail and Stillwater exits on SR-44 eastbound, east of Airport Road.

According to the CHP, authorities were notified of the accident after police received an accident report via a mobile device shortly before 1 a.m.

The CHP, Redding Fire Department and Shasta County Coroner responded. When police and firefighters arrived, they found a Chevrolet Equinox engulfed in flames.

The fire spread to the surrounding vegetation and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within ten minutes of arriving at the scene, the battalion commander said.

After an investigation, the CHP said the vehicle left the road and struck some trees before bursting into flames.

There were four people in the car. According to police, three of them managed to escape from the vehicle, but a woman was trapped in the passenger seat.

Despite valiant efforts by rescuers to save the trapped woman, she tragically died in the fire, according to the CHP.

The three other people in the car were taken to Mercy Medical Center in Redding with serious injuries.

The police assumed that the driver was probably under the influence of drugs and arrested him.

The Shasta County Coroner released the names of the driver and two passengers:

• Driver – Phillip Applegate, 58 (arrested)
• Passenger – Robert Clark, 59
• Passenger – Ines Bruno, 37

The name of the victim, a 64-year-old woman from Redding, will not be released until her relatives are notified.

Twin View Towing helped pull the vehicle out of the trees.

The coroner arrived at the scene of the accident with the help of the fire department to recover the remains of the deceased from the vehicle.