Highway 12 street race causes crash that injures 3
SANTA ROSA (BCN) -- A street race on westbound state Highway 12 in Santa Rosa led to a multi-vehicle crash that injured three people Thursday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A Honda Prelude and an Acura Integra were racing between Farmers Lane and U.S. Highway 101 in west Santa Rosa around 8 a.m., CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.
The drivers slammed on the brakes as they neared stopped traffic at the Highway 101 connector and lost control of their vehicles, Sloat said.
The Prelude struck the rear of the Integra, which then crossed the center median and hit a guardrail. The Prelude then spun into stopped traffic, causing a chain reaction in which four other vehicles were struck, Sloat said. The crash blocked all lanes of the highway, Sloat said.
Manuel Hurtado, 18, of Santa Rosa, the unlicensed driver of the Prelude, and the Integra driver, Sergio Velez-Ceja, 19, of Santa Rosa, were not injured in the crash, Sloat said.
Three of the four occupants of the other vehicles, including an infant girl, complained of pain and minor injuries. All four were taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Sloat said.
The CHP is investigating the incident to decide whether criminal charges will be sought, Sloat said.