Soda cans spilled on Highway 101 in Petaluma, traffic backed up

A big-rig carrying 37,000 pounds of Coca-Cola tipped onto its side Friday night on northbound Highway 101 near the Old Redwood Highway exit in Petaluma, spilling cans of soda “all over the roadway,” the CHP said.

The driver apparently fell asleep and allowed the rig to drift off the road, Sgt. Robert Boyer said.

A female passenger who was in the sleeper berth of the cab “got a rude awakening,” he said. The two were transported to a hospital with minor injuries, he said.

Motorists stopped to help and traffic backed up five miles to the south following the incident reported at 6:45 p.m. Initial reports on the CHP website were that cans of beer were scattered across the freeway.

One lane of the freeway was blocked for a time. Two tow trucks were on the scene at 9:30 p.m. and workers were unloading the truck’s remaining cargo.

Caltrans was notified that the truck took out about 100 feet of the guardrail, Boyer said.