Crime & Safety

CHP Looking for Car That Caused Highway 101 Crash and Power Outage Wednesday

Authorities are looking for witnesses to a crash Wednesday morning on Highway 101.

By Bay City News Service

The California Highway Patrol is looking for witnesses to a crash that caused a large power outage and backed up traffic on southbound U.S. Highway 101 for hours Wednesday morning.

Witnesses told the CHP that a white four-door sedan cut off a white Ford Ranger around 6 a.m., CHP Officer Andrew Barclay said.

Find out what's happening in Healdsburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The driver of the Ford Ranger, a 54-year-old woman from American Canyon, turned to the right to avoid hitting the sedan and ran into a wooden power pole on the right shoulder of the highway near Manuel T. Freitas Parkway, Barclay said.

The impact sheared the pole, and the Ford Ranger overturned and landed on its roof in a ditch, Barclay said. Emergency responders freed the driver from her vehicle and she was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. 

Find out what's happening in Healdsburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The top portion of the power pole was suspended in the air at an angle by power lines. The collision knocked out power to 2,533 PG&E customers in northern San Rafael.

PG&E crews asked the CHP to close the right lane so they could repair the pole safely. Traffic backed up for miles from Petaluma to San Rafael and on the state Highway 37 approach to Highway 101 during the repairs, Barclay said.

Anyone who saw the collision and may have gotten the white sedan's license plate number is asked to call the CHP at (415) 924-1100.

Copyright © 2014 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.