Crash down Mitchell Road embankment sends woman to hospital

A 65-year-old Modesto woman was hospitalized Sunday afternoon after plunging her vehicle down the steep embankment of Mitchell Road just south of the Tuolumne River bridge in Ceres.

Darla Rose Provance was southbound on Mitchell in a Chrysler PT Cruiser at about 4:35 p.m. when for unknown reasons she made an unsafe turning movement, lost control and went down the embankment about 400 feet north of River Road, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Blum.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Provance was alone in the car, which came to rest at the bottom of the embankment after crashing through brush and small trees.

Medical responders were able to reach her on a dirt road off River Road. Blum said Provance was not wearing a seat belt. She suffered major injuries to her left arm, and moderate injuries to her head and right leg. She was taken to Memorial Medical Center.

In addition to the CHP, units were on scene from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department and Ceres Police Department.

This story was originally published September 30, 2018 at 6:10 PM.