Laytonville Woman Found Dead After SUV Enters Field
No foul play is suspected
A 74-year-old woman was found dead in her vehicle on Saturday after her SUV left a rural road near a curve and entered a field in Laytonville, authorities said.
Local fire personnel responded to the scene at approximately 12:55 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, along with the California Highway Patrol, according to a firefighter who answered the phone at the Laytonville Fire Station. Sheriff’s deputies arrived shortly afterwards.
A CHP spokesperson said the incident was initially dispatched as a traffic collision. After examining the scene, however, officers determined the driver, identified as Colette Secher, had left the roadway near a curve and entered a field near 5,000 Woodman Peak Road. The vehicle was found mired in muddy terrain.
The spokesperson said the incident was ultimately classified as a medical emergency.
The firefighter said first responders believed the vehicle left the roadway hours before it was discovered. A neighbor told responders she noticed the vehicle in the field around 9 a.m. Saturday but did not realize anyone was inside.
Capt. Quincy Cromer of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said Secher was found deceased in the driver’s seat of her vehicle, a 2001 Toyota SUV. The vehicle was located approximately 13 yards from the roadway. Cromer confirmed that Secher’s next of kin had been notified.
Secher was nationally known for her work as a French bulldog breeder. Friends and colleagues who wish to contribute memories or information for an obituary may contact editor@mendolocal.news.