Investigation continues into Geysers Road ravine crash

A Santa Rosa man facing felony charges related to a high-speed police pursuit onto Geysers Road that ended with a dramatic crash remains under investigation for suspected marijuana-related charges, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.

Jason Buck, 38, will be in court Monday to determine whether there is enough evidence to try him on felony hit and run with major injuries and felony evading police and causing injuries. Buck has entered a plea of not guilty.

He crashed on Geysers Road on Nov. 7 while trying to outrun a Santa Rosa police officer, according to Santa Rosa police. Officer Matt Meloche had ended the chase but Buck had continued further up winding, steep Geysers Road, according to law enforcement reports.

Going too fast, he lost control and his Honda SUV rolled repeatedly as it dropped about 100 yards down a steep embankment before stopping in a creek, according to the CHP crash report. The crash was discovered about 45 minutes after the pursuit had ended.

Inside the wrecked SUV were two seriously injured passengers but no driver. Buck was arrested the next day after being found in Cloverdale, suspected of fleeing the crash and trying to flee the law.

Buck remained in custody Tuesday with bail set at $320,000.

Marijuana became part of the investigation when just after the chase a sheriff’s deputy found a duffel bag on Geysers Road containing four pounds of processed marijuana. Police believed the marijuana was thrown from the SUV.

Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Brian Staebell on Tuesday said the marijuana issue remained under investigation.

The chase that Friday afternoon started in Healdsburg along Highway 101, and was initiated by a Santa Rosa officer participating in a multi-agency effort each marijuana harvest season to look for drug traffickers on Highway 101, according to Santa Rosa police Capt. Jon Noland.

The officer attempted to stop the driver, saying he’d seen multiple vehicle infractions including that the SUV was moving 10-15 mph slower than traffic and the driver had changed lanes, cutting off another driver, Noland said.

The driver briefly stopped on Asti Road but took again as Officer Meloche stepped out of his patrol car, Noland said. The ensuing pursuit reached speeds of 60-80 mph along country roads leading to Geysers Road - a curving, narrow lane that heads steeply uphill.

At one point in the pursuit the SUV hit gravel and a dust cloud rose, obscuring the officer’s view. That prompted the officer to end the chase but continue up the road at a slower pace, Noland said. The crash was discovered about 45 minutes later.

Cloverdale firefighters rappelled down the steep embankment and aided the Sonoma County sheriff’s helicopter crew in getting the injured man and woman out of the ravine.

Passengers Frank Wheeler, 40, of Clearlake and Teresa Edwards, 45, of Central Point, Ore., suffered major injuries and were flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Edwards remained at the hospital Tuesday in good condition. Information on Wheeler’s medical conditions wasn’t available Tuesday afternoon.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.