Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

News briefs: Accident leads to drunken driving charge

Lucas Michael Yancey, 20, of Woodside has been charged with felony drunken driving after a Nov. 26 accident on Miramontes Road in Woodside.

Mr. Yancey was driving home from a party with five passengers in a 2000 Cadillac Escalade when he "took a turn too fast," rolled the vehicle, and landed in a pasture, said Lt. Ken Jones of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

No one was wearing a seat belt, Lt. Jones said. The accident caused various injuries, including severe shoulder pain, lacerations and bumps; Mr. Yancey was in a neck brace when deputies interviewed him at Sequoia Hospital, Lt. Jones said.

The injured people had been taken to the hospital in a vehicle driven by Mr. Yancey's brother Nicholas, who had been at the party but returned home in a separate vehicle, Lt. Jones said. When his brother didn't show up, Nicholas went out looking for him, discovered the accident, and drove everyone to the hospital, Lt. Jones said.

Sheriff's deputies learned of the accident when hospital staff called at 2:58 a.m. to report a group of people with injuries consistent with a vehicle accident, Lt. Jones said.

Mr. Yancey was cited and allowed to go home. The case has been turned over to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office to determine whether prosecution is warranted, Lt. Jones said.

Truck skids off freeway

The driver of a delivery truck apparently lost control of his vehicle on southbound Interstate 280, north of the Farm Hill Boulevard exit in Woodside, just before 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 11.

The truck turned over on its side and skidded down the freeway embankment toward Runnymede Road, which parallels I-280 on the west side, said Capt. Walter Black of the Woodside Fire Protection District.

A California Department of Forestry fire truck was first on the scene and provided first aid to the driver. He had no major injuries and was not taken to the hospital, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Woodside district fire officials checked for toxic leaks. There was a blow-off of transmission steam from the radiator but no smoke or fuel leak, said Capt. Black.

Posted by John smitt, a resident of the Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park neighborhood, on Dec 9, 2007 at 6:11 pm

The charges were reduced to misdemeanor. This story was embellished drastically and mostly farce.

Posted by Joanna, a resident of the Menlo Park: Downtown neighborhood, on Dec 10, 2007 at 8:36 am

Drunk driving is drunk driving... should be a felony every time!