Petaluma intersection cleared after morning accident

A multiple vehicle accident Thursday morning blocked a key east side Petaluma intersection and sent four motorists to the hospital.

Police and fire personnel responded about 6:55 a.m. to the crash involving a Chevy truck, a Ford Mustang, a Dodge van and a Honda sedan near the intersection of East Washington Street and North McDowell Boulevard.

The driver of the Ford Mustang, 21-year-old Petaluma resident Jose Grageda Ochoa, told officers that he was traveling northbound toward a stoplight on South McDowell Boulevard when the accelerator of his car stuck and he was unable to stop, police said in a news release.

Ochoa drove through the red light and collided with a black Honda Accord and white Dodge van that were traveling westbound on East Washington Street on a green traffic signal, police said. The Honda was propelled into the Dodge, disabling both vehicles.

The Mustang plowed through the intersection and crashed into a yellow Chevrolet pickup that was stopped at a red light in a southbound lane of North McDowell Boulevard, according to police.

Preliminary tests appeared to show that Ochoa was not under the influence of alcohol, though police found that he was behind the wheel without a driver’s license.

The Mustang was towed to the Petaluma Police Department for further inspection of potential problems with the vehicle’s accelerator, and the police department’s traffic unit is investigating the collision.

None of the motorists suffered life-threating injuries, though the female driver of the Honda sustained a broken jaw, police said. Three motorists were transported by ambulance to the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and one person was transported to Petaluma Valley Hospital, according to the news release.

No minors were in any of the vehicles, according to Sgt. Paul Gilman. Lanes remained closed until 10:30 a.m.