Minor injuries in garbage truck crashes on Highway 101 near Healdsburg

CHP released the names of the garbage truck drivers involved Wednesday in two separate crashes that closed for several hours northbound Highway 101 near Healdsburg.

Ismael Rico, 47, of Santa Rosa, was heading northbound on the highway just after 9 a.m. when he lost control of the Redwood Empire Disposal garbage truck on a rain-slick curve near the Lytton Springs Road offramp, CHP said.

The truck took out about 100 feet of guardrail in the center divider before it overturned and landed in the fast lane, spilling yard clippings all over the highway.

Minutes later, Raul Rosales Garnica, 34, of Santa Rosa, lost control of his Redwood Empire Disposal garbage truck on the same stretch of highway, CHP said. His truck ended up on the right shoulder of the roadway, which was closed for nearly three hours as big-rig tow trucks got the trucks back on their wheels.

Rico didn’t appear to be injured, CHP Officer Kerri Post said. Rosales was treated for minor injuries at Kaiser Medical Center, she said.

The crash remains under investigation, Post said.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 707-521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com.