BOULDER CREEK >> Authorities have identified a 36-year-old driver who died after crashing into a tree Thursday night near Juanita Road and Highway 9.

Stephen David Bass, of Boulder Creek, was killed in the fatal collision, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

The California Highway Patrol reported that Bass, operating a black 2014 Mazda 3, allegedly failed to yield to a State Parks ranger’s lights at Two Bar Road, leading to a brief pursuit southbound on Highway 9 shortly before 10:30 p.m.

Bass veered off the road and into a tree for an undetermined reason, according to the CHP. Despite lifesaving efforts, Bass died at the scene. While the cause of the crash remained under investigation, CHP authorities believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.