Car runs off Highway 36

An Arcata man suffered major injuries Monday afternoon when the vehicle he was a passenger in went off Highway 36 and struck a tree, the California Highway Patrol said.

The CHP said the driver, Erik Emiel Manuel, 25, of Manila, Calif., was traveling eastbound on Highway 36 approximately 6.5 miles east of Highway 3 when he allowed the vehicle to cross the double yellow lines on a moderate right-hand curve. The vehicle continued across the westbound lane and onto the dirt shoulder north of the highway, then went down the steep hillside, beginning to roll and striking a large tree.

The vehicle came to rest on its top, about 100 feet below the road.

The passenger, John Robert Long, 26, of Arcata, was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Redding with major injuries. Manuel had no apparent injuries but was also taken to Mercy as a precaution.