'Unusual' Crashes Block U.S. 101 Between Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A series of crashes involving multiple vehicles significantly backed up traffic Monday morning on northbound U.S. Highway 101 between Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa, a California Highway Patrol official said in a news release. In particular, there were two crashes involving "unusual circumstances," CHP Officer Jonathan Sloat said.

The first was at 5:50 a.m. when officers responded to a call of a four-vehicle crash on northbound 101 near Golf Course Drive, Sloat said. CHP has determined that as traffic slowed suddenly on the area, the driver of a Hyundai Sonata failed to slow down, consequently crashing into a trailer carrying a boat.

The impact launched the boat into a Honda Accord and caused the trailer and the GMC truck towing it to hit the center divider, Sloat said.

Two northbound lanes were blocked for about 40 minutes.

One person was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

"Fatigue is being looked at as a factor in the collision," Sloat said.

The second crash happened at about 6:40 a.m. while the first incident was being cleared. Traffic was still slowed between Cotati Grade and the golf course and the driver of a Honda Accord failed to slow in time to avoid hitting stopped traffic, Sloat said. The Accord driver crashed into the back of a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, propelling the Accord under the Tacoma.

The Honda driver was taken to Memorial Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

That collision blocked two lanes for 40 minutes, Sloat said.

"Unsafe speed is being looked at as a cause," he said.

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone