Lakeport, Calif – The Lakeport Police Department is investigating a solo vehicle crash that occurred early Wednesday morning and which is suspected to have been the result of drunk driving.
Damon Thomas Wooldridge 22 of Lakeport, was identfied by police as the driver and was flown to a regional trauma center.
At approximately 1: 12 AM this morning, Lakeport Police Officers were dispatched to investigate the report of a traffic accident heard-followed by sounds of someone screaming in the area of the Lakeport Unified School District.
Two Lakeport Police units responded immediately to the area and located a red 1992 Ford F150 pick-up upside down on its roof west of the west roadway edge of Lakeshore Blvd north of Lange Street. Officers located the adult male driver and solo occupant pinned inside of the vehicle.
Lakeport Fire Protection District (LFPD) Fire Fighters responded and began working on extricating and providing medical aid to the driver.
The extrication process took approximately one hour, after which the male was transported by LFPD ambulance to Sutter Lakeside and then transferred to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital by helicopter.
The injuries received by the driver are believed to be serious but not life threatening.
The Lakeport Police investigation of this incident is still ongoing however the preliminary report identified Wooldridge as the driver in the solo vehicle accident with evidence showing that alcohol and unsafe speed are combined factors in the collision.
Officers believe that Wooldridge lost control of the pick-up while it was traveling north on Lakeshore Blvd, north of Lange Street at a high rate of speed. The pick-up is then believed to have hit the west roadway curb, flipped sideways, went airborne and collided with a large Oak tree before coming to rest on its roof.
The Santa Rosa Police Department assisted in this investigation by arranging a legal blood alcohol test to be taken from Wooldridge.