Police: Distracted driving led to east Santa Rosa multicar crash

A driver who took her eyes off the road to grab something in the car was at fault in Tuesday afternoon’s three-vehicle crash in east Santa Rosa, according to Santa Rosa police.

“She got distracted, looking down to reach for something on the floorboard or seat and ended up crossing over the double yellow lines,” said Santa Rosa traffic Sgt. Summer Black.

Santa Rosa resident Kimberley Grindell, 51, had been headed east on Montgomery Drive at the speed limit when her Subaru drifted into the westbound lane and hit an oncoming car, and ricocheting off that into a second vehicle before sliding down the embankment.

The Subaru was stopped short of Santa Rosa Creek when the vehicle’s back end jammed into the crook of a large oak tree, trapping the woman.

The 2:45 p.m. crash closed the busy road. Santa Rosa firefighters broke out the windshield and helped the woman out and up a ladder to the road. Grindell had minor injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Black said.

The second driver wasn’t injured and the third driver had minor injuries.

She was not issued a citation because police considered it an infraction.