Yesterday's traffic through Petaluma came to a standstill after a major crash shut every southbound lane of U.S. Highway 101 just north of the East Washington Street exit, grinding the southern end of Sonoma County to a crawl. The collision was reported shortly after 1:10 PM, and bystanders jumped in to perform CPR on at least one person as debris littered the roadway. Crews warned the closure could last for hours while investigators documented the scene and cleared wreckage.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash was logged at about 1:13 PM on the southbound US-101 at the East Washington Street off-ramp and initially involved at least two vehicles. All southbound lanes were reported blocked, with traffic forced off the freeway as troopers and emergency responders worked the scene.
The Press Democrat reported that debris covered all southbound lanes and that bystanders were performing CPR on at least one person. The outlet also reported that officials had not yet released details on the extent of injuries or the cause of the collision.
Traffic And Detours
The CHP said drivers were being diverted off at the East Washington Street exit and funneled onto local surface streets, quickly clogging routes through Petaluma as the freeway remained shut. As investigators processed the scene and tow trucks worked to remove damaged vehicles, officials warned the shutdown could stretch for hours.
Travelers were urged to check official feeds such as the Caltrans QuickMap and the California Highway Patrol incident page for live updates before heading toward the area.
Investigation Ongoing
As of late afternoon, investigators had not provided additional information on what led up to the crash or the conditions of those involved, according to The Press Democrat. The CHP said it would release updates as they become available and asked anyone with information or dash-cam video from the area to contact CHP Santa Rosa, which is leading the investigation.
