Five people were injured after a two-vehicle collision in Santa Rosa on Saturday afternoon, October 21, 2023.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident occurred in the area of Mendocino Avenue and Highway 101 at around 1:30 p.m.
Marcus B., an 18-year-old from Healdsburg, was speeding on a Mustang while being pursued by police after refusing to yield to a traffic stop. During the chase, he rear-ended a Land Rover Discovery occupied by a family of three.
The three people in the SUV complained of pain and were transported to a local hospital. The Mustang’s 17-year-old male passenger was also taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The 18-year-old driver was booked into the Sonoma County Jail after being treated for minor injuries.
No further details were available. The victims’ identities are being withheld pending an investigation to determine what caused the crash.
Dedicated Reckless Driving Accident Attorneys in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County
It is your right to seek compensation for the death or injury caused by another driver’s negligence. Take action to protect your rights and get justice by seeking the advice of a personal injury lawyer in Oakland or other areas of Sonoma County.
During our free consultation, one of our experienced attorneys will review your case, discuss the next steps to take, and examine all the factors that could affect the settlement amount.
Our award-winning Sonoma County reckless driving accident attorneys at Arash Law, founded by the renowned attorney Arash Khorsandi, Esq., have decades of experience advocating for accident victims, resulting in a total of $750 Million in compensation.
To schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys, please call (888) 488-1391 or submit the “Do I Have a Case?” form.
What To Do in Case of a Car Accident in Santa Rosa
Since car accidents are unexpected, knowing exactly what to do after being involved in one can be confusing. First, you should check on all passengers, drivers, and pedestrians involved. If they need medical help, call for an ambulance immediately. Make sure that you don’t move anyone who is unconscious or reports back or neck pain unless their life is in imminent danger, for example, a fire or oncoming traffic. You also need to do the following:
- Call the police to report any deaths, injuries, or substantial property damage. Get the names and badge numbers of officers who are at the scene of the accident. Later, you need to call the police department and request the accident report.
- Take pictures of all parties involved, including their driver’s licenses and insurance cards.
- Take pictures of all vehicles involved, including their license plates, any visible damages, and points of rest of the automobiles.
- Take pictures of street names, traffic lights, and signs.
- Take pictures of all skid marks.
- Take pictures of witnesses and obtain their phone numbers and addresses.
- Preserve evidence by taking pictures of your injuries.
- Seek medical attention, even if you feel like your injuries are minor.
- Call our firm’s California reckless driving accident lawyer for a free case review.
You should also get the names, driver’s license numbers, telephone numbers, and addresses of anyone involved. Get their license plates and insurance information. Be sure to get passengers’ names, addresses, and phone numbers. If there are any eyewitnesses, have them jot down their version of what happened and their contact information.
Reckless Accident Statistics
In the United States, automobile accidents are the leading cause of unintentional deaths and injuries. Two million people die in car accidents yearly, and ten million are injured.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines reckless driving as “willful disregard” for the safety of other road users. The NHTSA also recorded 11,258 fatalities caused by speeding in 2020.
The AAA estimated that between 2003 and 2007, 56% of all traffic accidents were caused by reckless driving.
In Santa Rosa, 571 victims were either injured or killed because of crashes, based on the California Office of Traffic Safety data. About 78 were speed-related, 50 happened at night, and 58 involved hit-and-runs.