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2 Riverside County Men Injured In Crash That Killed CHP Officer

RIVERSIDE (CBS)  — Officials said Wednesday that two Riverside County men were injured in a crash that claimed the life of a California Highway Patrol officer in Northern California.

CHP Officer Thomas Adams, 24, died instantly in the head-on collision on state Route 101, near Piercy, in northern Mendocino County, according to the CHP.

Adams was northbound on the 101 about 2:15 p.m. Tuesday when, "for reasons still under investigation," he allowed his patrol unit to drift onto the opposite side of the highway. The 2009 Ford Crown Victoria collided with a 2004 Toyota Tundra pickup being driven by Jeff Kidd, 39, of Perris, according to a CHP statement.

Kidd and his front seat passenger, 31-year-old Jared Geldhofbond of Riverside, suffered minor injuries. The men were treated at Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville and have since been released, according to the CHP.

The agency's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team was looking into the circumstances of the crash.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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