2 Injured As Semi Collides With 2 Cars, Careens Off Lakeville Hwy

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A big-rig careened off Lakeville Highway and two people were rushed to a hospital Tuesday afternoon in a three-vehicle collision near Ernie's Tin Bar in Sonoma County, according to the California Highway Patrol. The big rig eventually came to a stop when it hit an old wooden structure near the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Stage Gulch Road/state Highway 116, CHP Officer Marcus Hawkins said.

The crash involved a Toyota Camry, an Acura RSX and the semi, and was reported at 12:45 p.m. at the three-way intersection where traffic is regulated by a stop sign, Hawkins said.

According to CHP's preliminary investigation, an 86-year-old Sonoma man was stopped in a blue Camry on Stage Gulch and was preparing to make a left turn onto southbound Lakeville as a 56-year-old Napa man was driving the big-rig northbound on Lakeville, approaching the intersection.

"The Toyota began to turn and ended up stopping in the middle of the intersection, in front of the tractor-trailer combination [big rig]," Hawkins said. "The driver of the tractor-trailer swerved left and attempted to stop."

The truck driver was not able to avoid hitting the left side of the Camry, Hawkins said.

The truck continued through the intersection in a northwesterly direction and hit the RSX, which was traveling southbound on Lakeville, according to the CHP.

The big-rig kept going, careening off the western edge of the roadway and into an old wooden structure, Hawkins said.

The driver of the RSX, a 27-year-old American Canyon man, suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The Camry driver was also taken to Memorial Hospital but with serious injuries, according to the CHP.

"The exact extent of injuries are unconfirmed at this time, but are not believed to be life-threatening," Hawkins said.

The roadway was "quickly" reopened following the crash, Hawkins said.

As far as injuries are concerned, Hawkins said the truck driver escaped the incident unscathed.