Wednesday, 20 August 2008 02:21
Driver Wreaks Havoc Across Amador County
An alleged drunk driver sparked havoc across Amador County Sunday afternoon after weaving through traffic before finally wrecking her vehicle in a front yard on Ridge Road. California Highway Patrol Officers first picked up a muddled report that a white van was driving erratically on Highway 88 between Ione and Jackson. A CHP officer headed in that direction, spotted the car heading in the opposite direction on Ridge Road, and made a u-turn in an attempt to catch up with the vehicle. The officer indicated that the driver was driving so fast and taking such chances passing other vehicles that he could not safely catch up to the van. Soon, however, a report of a white auto rollover on Ridge Road near New York Ranch road would prove to be his original suspect. The female had lost control on a curve and rolled several times into the yard of a home on Ridge Road. She was injured seriously enough to require a helicopter ride to an area hospital. Initial tests indicated that she had been drinking, but a blood analysis will be done to confirm her exact intoxication level. Shaken witnesses at the scene indicated that the woman was driving erratically and had several near-misses with other vehicles. According to one witness, “She seemed to be driving in a total reckless manner with no regard to other drivers on the roadway.”