CRIME & SAFETY

This week in Ukiah, California, two incidents occurred that impacted the safety of the community. In the first incident, a man was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 55-year-old resident. The defendant withdrew his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity after being acquitted of murder. In the second incident, a Santa Rosa man died in a head-on crash in Ukiah. The driver crossed into the opposite lane and collided with a truck, resulting in the death of the driver and moderate injuries to the truck driver. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

The following is a press release issued by the California Highway Patrol:. At an unknown time sometime between 1500 hours on 11/27/23 and 0200 hours on 11/28/23, a red Honda Civic driven by Erica Gonzalez was traveling eastbound on SR-253 in the area of 9501 SR-253 at an unknown speed. As the Honda approached a slight left hand curve in the roadway, Gonzalez allowed the Honda to exit the roadway and travel off the roadway down a steep grass embankment approximately 400 feet. As the Civic traveled down the embankment, it collided with a tree and a dirt access road and continued in a southerly direction rolling several times. As a result, the 2010 Honda sustained major roll over damage.

The Santa Rosa man who died last Thursday from a head-on crash in Ukiah has been identified. Forty-seven-year-old Christopher Casey was driving his SUV west on SR 253 when his vehicle crossed over into the opposite lane and hit a truck near Stipp Lane. Airbags in both vehicles were deployed but Casey wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene. The truck driver suffered moderate injuries and was taken to a Ukiah hospital. The CHP is still investigating the crash.

A truck towing a trailer with more than 300 pounds of marijuana was stopped recently on Highway 101 between Ukiah and Willits, the California Highway Patrol reported. According to the CHP, around 11:25 a.m. Nov. 9, an officer stopped “a silver Dodge Ram pulling an enclosed trailer” on Hwy. 101 south of the Ridgewood Scales because the driver had been speeding.

A devastating head-on collision on State Route 253 near Ukiah resulted in the death of a 47-year-old Santa Rosa man. The accident occurred early Thursday morning just east of Stipp Lane when the man's Honda Civic crossed into the eastbound lane and collided with a Ford Ranger. The truck, driven by a 79-year-old Ukiah resident, was traveling at approximately 50 MPH at the time of the impact.

This week in Willits, California, there were four notable incidents. These incidents include a fatal traffic collision on the Willits Grade portion of Highway 101, the seizure of 300 pounds of unlicensed marijuana during a traffic stop, the arrest of a suspected murderer connected to the disappearance of a 57-year-old grandmother, and a fatal collision caused by poor visibility near Willits.