With a string of DUIs occuring in the last few months in Rohnert Park, another major wreck took place on April 6 that is thought to have involved alcohol. The 22-year-old driver, whose name was not released, was seriously injured in the accident after hitting a tree and flipping his vehicle multiple times. 

The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety received numerous calls about the incident that occured on Camino Colegio Dr. at Magnolia Ave., according to a press release put out by Police Chief Tim Mattos. 

When officers arrived on scene, they discovered a single male slightly ejected from the passenger side window of a Subaru wagon, which was found to be on its roof. Due to the partial ejection, the young male suffered from a serious head injury and was not conscious when he was pulled from the vehicle by fire officials. 

According to eyewitness accounts of the wreck, the vehicle was traveling way over the speed limit going south on Camino Colegio. The Subaru then lost control and ended up going up into the center divider and struck a tree, subsequently causing the vehicle to flip onto its roof. 

Alcohol and not properly wearing of a seatbelt are said to be the two main factors that created unsafe driving conditions for the driver. 

 “Although the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety will continue to take a proactive approach to traffic enforcement, it is vital to the safety of our community that anyone getting behind the wheel of a vehicle drive with due care,” said Chief Mattos.

In the area, it seems DUIs have been on the rise recently. On St. Patrick’s weekend alone, seven drivers were arrested while going through a checkpoint that the Rohnert Park Police Department held. Of the seven arrested, one local woman received her fourth DUI in the last four years, which, if convicted, becomes a felony, according to the Press Democrat. These kinds of checkpoints have been popping up around the town to ensure the safety of the residents. 

Some Sonoma State students have also been involved in these kinds of accidents, including an alum who was killed in late October of last year while driving through Rohnert Park. 

Mo’Tasem Haddad, 24, was found dead on the scene when his vehicle was traveling east down Rohnert Park Expressway with excessive speed and collided with another after running a red light. Haddad’s vehicle was split down the center after striking a light pole. 

“Slow down, wear your seatbelt, stay off your phone, and concentrate on the job at hand: driving. Arrive at your destination safely by following the rules of the road,” said Mattos. 

Along with the accident, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety appeared to have a busy Friday night. After responding to a call from a security guard working in the 400 block of Southwest Blvd., police arrived looking for a suspicious person. When they got on scene, they met with the guard, Lloyd Collins, who reported that a suspicious man was threatening him. 

While the department was questioning Collins on the suspicious man, an officer noticed a cocaine tray on the passenger side of his vehicle. He was detained and the officers continued their search, in which they found more narcotics and a loaded handgun, which had no registration.