New details on woman found dead 3 days after Northern California car crash

A woman whose body was found in a van three days after it crashed died of an accidental drug overdose, the Mendocino County sheriff’s office said.

Wednesday’s report was an update on a case that began with a two-vehicle crash on Oct. 8, 2023, in the Brooktrails subdivision near Willits.

California Highway Patrol officers responding to the scene were told that one driver fled in a Toyota Sienna van. They found the van unoccupied, and then apprehended a pedestrian who matched the driver’s description. That man — a 26-year-old from Eureka — was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run and driving under the influence.

The van was taken to a tow yard.

After learning of the arrest, the man’s family reported concerns about his mother, who they believed had been traveling with him. On Oct. 11, Mendocino County sheriff’s deputies and Eureka police officers searched the impounded van, which they said was “packed with a significant number of belongings [including] clothing, luggage and living supplies.”

Under a pile of these possessions, they found the body of Christine Ann Randolph, 53.

A coroner’s investigation that was concluded on Jan. 3 classified her death as an accident caused by an overdose of morphine, diazepam and nordiazepam. The latter two substances are used primarily as anti-anxiety drugs; diazepam is sold under the brand name Valium.