Arrested, Handcuffed Man Struck By Car on Hwy 101 in Windsor

From Bay City News Service

A Santa Rosa man who had been arrested on the side of southbound U.S. Highway 101 in Windsor was struck by a car when he walked into the highway Christmas night, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

Around 9:30 p.m. sheriff's deputies responded to Highway 101 at the Shiloh Road off-ramp to assist the California Highway Patrol with a man suspected of domestic abuse, sheriff's officials said. The suspect, 53-year-old Dewayne Higgins, had allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and threatened to kill her, sheriff's officials said.

Apparently a CHP officer went to check in on a vehicle that was parked on the freeway near Shiloh Road with the doors open. The officer said he saw Higgins pull a female victim from the vehicle and throw her onto the ground.

The officer then arrested Higgins, placing him in handcuffs and escorting him to a patrol vehicle to sit on the bumper as he called for backup, according to sheriff's officials.

The victim and another person in the car then got out of the car and started walking toward the CHP vehicle and yelling. The CHP officer went to handle those two people, which was when Higgins took advantage of the distracted officer to walk away from the patrol vehicle and into the highway, according to officials.

He was then hit by a vehicle driven by a male traveling with his family back from a holiday celebration.

Although alcohol was not a factor for the driver, Higgins allegedly had a blood alcohol content of .36 when he was struck. Higgins was taken by ambulance to a hospital with major injuries after the crash, officials said.

He is expected to survive and once he is released will be book at the Sonoma County Jail on domestic battery and terroristic threats charges, officials said.