CLEARLAKE OAKS – A Clearlake Oaks woman sustained major injuries this week when she was involved in a motorcycle crash in Sonoma County.

Phyliss Finlayson, 69, was injured Tuesday while she and friends were riding motorcycles southbound along Highway 1 near Timber Cove, said Officer Barbara Upham, spokesperson for the Santa Rosa office of the California Highway Patrol.

Upham said Finlayson entered a curve in the road and lost control of the motorcycle.

The motorcycle went off the road and into some gravel, where Upham said it hit an embankment and a tree.

Upham said Finlayson was thrown off of the motorcycle and landed in a creek bed about 40 feet below the embankment.

When Finlayson was ejected from the motorcycle, it appeared that her face hit the handlebars, which caused major facial injuries, according to Upham.

Upham said Finlayson also suffered a broken neck, broken ribs and a broken wrist, and was airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment.

On Thursday Upham said she didn't have any update on Finlayson's condition.

“Currently, our suspicion is that she was driving too fast for the roadway conditions,” Upham said of the reason for the crash.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:2}