The California Highway Patrol has released some details about a fiery crash in Landers that killed two people early Wednesday morning. Douglas Barnes, 37, of Victorville, was driving a white 2012 Dodge 5500 pick-up truck, towing a 30-foot trailer, southbound on Old Woman Springs Road, at an unknown rate of speed. Just north of Linn Road, Barnes allowed the pick-up truck to cross over the broken yellow lines and enter the northbound lanes about 4 a.m. His truck collided with a 2004 green Jeep Liberty, driven northbound on the highway by Joshua Robbins, 36, of Joshua Tree. The collision sent the Jeep spinning out of control, and it eventually came to rest on its wheels and caught fire. Robbins and his two passengers, Zaqerre Holmes, 30, and Robert Still, 29, both of Yucca Valley, all managed to get out of the Jeep safely before it became fully engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, Barnes’ truck continued southbound and hit head on a blue 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer that had been following Robbins’ Jeep northbound on the highway. The two men inside the Lancer were pronounced dead at the scene. County Fire Battalion Chief Donnie Viloria told Z107.7 the Lancer’s driver and passenger were burned beyond recognition, but the CHP said the victims’ vehicle did not catch fire. When questioned about the discrepancy, Viloria later said that’s what he was told by his crew; he did not see the victims himself. The CHP has identified the victims only as a 21-year-old man from Yucca Valley, who was driving the vehicle, and his 52-year-old passenger from Desert Hot Springs. Joshua Robbins received only small lacerations to hi face and arms. Douglas Barnes, Zaqerre Holmes, and Robert Still were not injured in the crash.
