Suspected drunken driver hits woman on Santa Rosa sidewalk, keeps going

A man suspected of drunken driving drove a recreational vehicle onto a Cleveland Avenue sidewalk in Santa Rosa on Sunday night, striking and seriously injuring a woman who had been walking with her sister, police said.

The woman’s identity and condition were not known late Sunday. She was taken to a hospital and rushed into surgery, Sgt. Mike Numainville said at the scene of the crash.

He said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash, which was reported at 6:35 p.m.

Numainville said the recreational vehicle, an older-model Dodge Sportsman, was traveling south on Cleveland Avenue when it veered off the road and struck a fire hydrant and crosswalk sign at the intersection with Terry Lane, across the street from a Motel 6.

The driver maneuvered back onto Cleveland but careened off the road again about after about ?100 yards. The RV struck the woman and plowed into a sign outside an office complex, across the street from Sam’s For Play Cafe.

Other drivers who saw the crash followed the RV as the man kept going. Police caught up to the Sportsman a few blocks later in the parking lot of Coddingtown mall outside Macy’s. The man was being questioned Sunday night.

The passenger-side cab of the RV was ripped apart and several tires appeared to be flattened.

On the back of the vehicle was a peace symbol and several window stickers, including one for the U.S. Army.

Cleveland Avenue was shut down in both directions between Terry Lane and Orchard Supply Hardware as police investigated the crash. The roadway was expected to be closed until midnight.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com.