Police: Unlicensed Petaluma teen drives, crashes into house

A 17-year-old who was driving without a valid license crashed into a Petaluma home Wednesday, police said.

The crash happened just before 5 p.m. on St. Francis Drive at St. Joseph Way. Officers found a Mazda 3 on a front lawn, according to the Petaluma Police Department.

Investigators determined the teen was heading south on St. Francis at a high rate of speed and lost control of the car, which crashed into the side of a home.

“The juvenile was reportedly uninjured but was seeking their own medical attention with a guardian,” police reported.

No one was inside the home, which had “minimal damage,” police added.

The teen was expected to be cited for driving without a license plus other violations pending further investigation.

Petaluma police say unsafe speed is one of the top factors in collisions across the city.

Since Jan. 1, 2021, 83 collisions were attributed to unsafe speed, according to police.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi