After Nearly Causing Three Traffic Collisions, Reckless Driving Results in Three-Vehicle Accident on Highway 101’s Ridgewood Grade

This afternoon at approximately 4:00 p.m., California Highway Patrol dispatch began to receive a series of reports describing a vehicle driving north on Highway 101’s Ridgewood Grade nearly causing three different traffic collisions. The vehicle finally came to a stop near mile marker 39.08 due to a three-vehicle collision with one vehicle coming to rest on a slope 20′ above the roadway.

The CHP Incident Information page indicates a total of three parties were involved in the collision: a motorcycle, a Lexus Sedan, and a Nissan Frontier. Based on a close analysis of California Highway Patrol’s Incident Information page entry for this incident, we are unsure whether the reckless vehicle was a motorcycle, a Lexus sedan, or the Nissan Frontier. We believe the vehicle that nearly caused three traffic collisions and ultimately caused the multi-vehicle collision was the motorcycle. But, due to an inability to verify, we will refer to the vehicle as the “offending vehicle.”

As per the California Highway Patrol Traffic Incident Information page, at 4:01 p.m. the offending vehicle had a near miss traffic collision with “with a couple cars.” At 4:07 p.m., the reporting party described another near miss traffic collision and seconds later the offending vehicle nearly collided with a semi-truck. It was after this point the offending vehicle cause the three-vehicle collision.

The CHP Incident Information page states the reporting party actually attempted to direct traffic after the multi-vehicle accident and ran across the freeway to do so. The dispatcher made clear the reporting party was advised to stay out of the roadway.

Two of the parties suffered minor injuries and one party was reported to be “altered,” which usually indicates the party was intoxicated. An ambulance responded to the scene and transferred at least one patient to Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits.

The Lexus sedan reportedly suffered major front end damage and the Nissan Frontier pickup suffered front and rear damage with a bent front axle and came to rest 20′ above the roadway

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