Fruit, Asphalt Trucks Collide, Closing Lakeville Highway At SR-37

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A crash Wednesday on Lakeville Highway completely shut down the roadway for nearly four hours, according to California Highway Patrol. The closure was just north of state Route 37 — Sears Point Road — Santa Rosa CHP officials said at about noon Wednesday.

The crash was initially reported at about 11:56 a.m. Wednesday on northbound Lakeville Highway.

A truck carrying vegetables and/or fruit collided with a Land Rover and then hit a big rig hauling liquid asphalt, according to CHP.

It was later clarified that crates of pears were spilled all over the roadway, as was approximately 2,500 gallons worth of liquid asphalt.

An ambulance crew was sent to the scene and transported the Land Rover driver and her daughter to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, CHP Officer Jonathan Sloat said.

Motorists were advised to expect traffic delays — or if possible avoid the area altogether — until the roadway reopened at about 3:45 p.m.

Below is the full statement released by Officer Sloat about the incident:

"CHP and fire personnel responded to a multiple vehicle collision on Lakeville Rd. north of State Route 37 just before noon. A tractor trailer loaded with pears was travelling southbound on Lakeville Rd. and the driver, Robert Martin, 61 of Thorton, CA, failed to notice stopped traffic ahead of him. Martin swerved to the left to avoid Kara Love, 39 out of Pt. Reyes CA, who was stopped in her Land Rover. The abrupt steering caused the load of pears to shift and several large containers became disconnected and struck the back of Love’s Land Rover, causing minor injuries to Love and her daughter, and major damage to the vehicle.

"Martin drove into the opposing lane of Lakeville Rd. directly in front of a tanker truck hauling liquid asphalt. In an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, the driver of the tanker, Ron Morales, 52, swerved to the right, down the embankment and into a dirt field. One of the tanks overturned, spilling 2,500 gallons of its contents.

"Morales was uninjured in the collision and Love and her daughter were transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

"Lakeville Rd. between State Route 37 and State Route 116 (Stagegulch Rd.) was closed until 15:45 hours [3:45 p.m.] while emergency crews up-righted the tanker and Cal-trans and Sonoma County Roads Dept. cleared up the spilled pears. Clean-up of the spilled asphalt into the field will be on-going. Traffic was backed-up on State Route 37 for miles in each direction. Traffic on Lakeville Rd. was detoured onto State Route 116."

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