CHP cites driver at 131 mph, investigates crash into Sonora building
A driver was cited for traveling more than 130 mph on a Sierra highway, and another driver crashed into a commercial building, in separate incidents this week, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Neither incident resulted in injuries, authorities said.
On Feb. 2, a CHP officer monitoring traffic on State Route 120 near Rushing Hill Lookout observed a Ford Mustang Cobra traveling at 131 mph, according to CHP Sonora spokesperson Steve Machado.
The officer conducted an enforcement stop and issued the driver a citation for traveling over 100 mph, having illegal window tint and not displaying a front license plate, Machado said.
CHP officials emphasized the dangers of excessive speed. “Speed contributes to a vast majority of all crashes and [is] a major factor in most that result in a fatality,” Acting Sonora Area Commander Sgt. Percey said in a statement. “Slow down, drive safe and realize it is not just your life you are risking.”
Two days later, the CHP responded to a separate crash involving a driver who accidentally accelerated into a building while parking.
On Feb. 4 at about 2 p.m., a Tuolumne woman was parking her vehicle in a stall at 14683 Mono Way in Sonora when she mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake, Machado said.
The vehicle accelerated and struck a commercial building. No one inside the building or the driver was injured, and investigators do not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, according to CHP.
Authorities used the incident as another reminder about safe driving practices. “Maintaining control of your vehicle makes a safer road for everyone,” Percey said.
