Teen injured after crashing Escalade into power pole, tree on Sonoma County roadway

A teenager was injured early Tuesday morning when the Cadillac Escalade he was driving crashed near a home in southern Sonoma County.

The luxury SUV, driven southbound on Mecham Road toward Pepper Road, sustained major front-end damage when it went off the road around midnight, hitting a tree and striking a power pole, said Battalion Chief Herb Wandel of the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District.

“It pushed the front of the car back far enough that the brake pedal was up in the driver’s seat,” Wandel said of the impact.

The driver and sole occupant, a 17-year-old boy, sustained moderate injuries, CHP Officer David de Rutte said. Driving under the influence was not suspected in the crash, he said, chalking up the collision to an “unsafe turning movement that caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.”

The teenager was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment, Wandel said.

The house, which appeared to be home to several people, lost electric service as the impact splintered a power pole and pulled off an electrical panel, he said. None of the home’s occupants were injured as a result of the crash, CHP said.

You can reach Staff Writer Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or will.schmitt@pressdemocrat.com.