Cyclist Sustains Life-Threatening Injuries in Santa Rosa Crash

Woman Hospitalized After Bicycle Collision near West Steele Lane and McBride Lane

Cyclist Sustains Life-Threatening Injuries in Santa Rosa Crash

Santa Rosa, California: A bicyclist sustained life-threatening injuries after colliding with a car Thursday afternoon in Santa Rosa, police said.

The crash also left the driver of the involved vehicle arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs.

Santa Rosa police said the accident was reported at around 5:07 p.m. on West Steele Lane near McBride Lane.

Witnesses and the driver involved told authorities that a woman was riding her bicycle on West Steele Lane and, as she passed McBride Lane, appeared to swerve into the westbound lane.

The cyclist was hit by the left side of a westbound Honda.

The woman was thrown to the ground, sustaining life-threatening injuries. Emergency personnel took the cyclist to the hospital for treatment.

The car was traveling at about 15 mph at the time of the collision, as per the witnesses.

Police identified the driver of the car as Michael Steven Gutierrez, 65, from Santa Rosa.

The officers searched Gutierrez’s car after they spotted drug paraphernalia in it during their investigation and found several large bindles of suspected methamphetamine in the vehicle, along with a scale and other drug paraphernalia.

Gutierrez was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics and possession of narcotics for sale.

The driver was, however, not believed to have been intoxicated at the time of the collision.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing.