The following is a press release issued by the Ukiah Police Department:
On 09/17/2023, at approximately 5:24 PM, Ukiah Police Officers and Ukiah Valley Fire Authority units were dispatched to the area of 800 Live Oak Ave. near the golf course for a single-vehicle traffic collision. Upon arrival, Officers discovered that a white Subaru Legacy had collided with a redwood tree on the western border of the roadway. The driver, a 52-year-old male of Ukiah, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The passenger, a 48-year-old male of Ukiah, suffered injuries as a result of the collision and was promptly transported to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley (AHUV) for medical evaluation and treatment.
The Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident. The cause of the collision is currently under review by our dedicated Traffic Collision Officer. Preliminary reports suggest that the vehicle appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control before colliding with the tree. We ask anyone with information about this incident or who may have witnessed the accident to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation by contacting the Ukiah Police Department at 707-463-6262.
As the investigation continues, further details will be made available to the public. In the meantime, UPD would like to remind the public to exercise safe and defensive driving techniques and to follow the speed limits.
The Ukiah Police Department would like to thank MCSO and UVFA for their assistance with this investigation.
As always, our mission at UPD is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cellphone, and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website; www.ukiahpolice.com
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This is not a location where one would expect such a high speed, high impact, and highly costly vehicle crash.
My condolences to the friends and family of the injured and the deceased.
I’m wondering if the (earlier today) preceding comments on this press release were deleted by their authors, or by the editor?
My spouse and child were nearby when it happened. I’m thankful that no bystanders were injured.
My comment must have been removed by the editor. I take my child to Todd Grove and also we ride pur bikes in this area. Too often people drive way too fast. It is usually young kids or zombies that have been awake for too long.
Street racing is surging across the country. It is clearly a nationwide problem. Young adults were bottled up during covid and now post covid young people are looking for alternative ways to get their angst out during this era of high inflation. Even before Covid, Ukiah wasn’t exactly a place with a lot of stuff for young adults to express themselves or find legitimate activities to quell their demands.
“anyone with information” would almost certainly include the surviving passenger.
Are they conscious?
I live very close to Todd Grove Park. Day and night (especially night) people drive VERY fast in this area.
Two hours before this accident I was walking on that side of the road, along those redwood trees. Thank God I wasn’t when this idiot came speeding/crashing through. Lucky he only killed himself. When, When, When, will UPD start patroling residential streets and actually issuing tickets for speeding, driving while on phone, etc. No consequences = lawlessness. Start enforcing the laws on the books!! NOW. Citizens want action NOW!
We live just outside of city limits and have the same problem with speeding. Lots of walkers here. We would like to see more patrolling but it has not happened in over 40 years, despite my complaints.
Maybe drunks leaving the golf course where it’s perfectly fine to day-drink and drive off?