Petaluma Blvd S.
PETALUMA – According to a Petaluma Police Department (PPD) Advisory, a driver under the influence collided with two pedestrians in a crosswalk in downtown Petaluma.
A woman in a gold Chevrolet Cavalier was driving at approximately 30 mph southbound on Petaluma Boulevard S. between Western Avenue and B Street shortly before 6:30 pm on Sunday when she approached a crosswalk near the front entrance to McNears Mystic Theatre. Two pedestrians were crossing from the east side when the driver saw them and hit the brakes.
Both pedestrians were hit and thrown onto the hood, then onto the roadway.
One of the victims was a 23-year-old woman from Petaluma who sustained head injuries and was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. The other victim was a 21-year-old man from Petaluma who sustained trauma to his head, arms and legs and was transported to Petaluma Valley Hospital.
They had just left the downtown movie theatre and neither had been drinking.
The driver was identified as 61-year-old Karen Burns of Petaluma.
Officers noted signs of impairment and had her perform a number of sobriety tests.
She performed poorly and was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription medications. Burns was booked into the Sonoma County Jail for Felony Driving under the Influence of Drugs. Her bail has been set at $100,000.
