(Photo by Tarmo Hannula)
WATSONVILLE — A pedestrian was seriously injured Wednesday morning after being struck by a car at the intersection of Airport Boulevard and Holm Road.
Sgt. Brian Ridgway of the Watsonville Police Department said the crash occurred around 7:55 a.m. The victim was crossing Airport Boulevard in the crosswalk at the intersection of Holm Road when she was slammed by a silver 2012 Ford Fusion that was traveling westbound.
According to Sgt. Donny Thul, the driver of the Ford was using his cell phone for navigation and did not see the woman as she was crossing until the collision. The driver cooperated with investigators, and drugs or alcohol do not appear to have a role in the crash.
The victim was airlifted to a trauma center and was in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon.
The case will be forwarded to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office and charges may be filed against the driver, Thul said.
All four lanes of Airport Boulevard between Ross Avenue and Nielson Street were shut down, diverting traffic to side streets for hours after the crash. The victim’s shoes, work name tag and soft drink container from the nearby 7-Eleven store were strewn across the scene.
A woman who worked nearby said she heard the crash and that it sounded like a “big boom.” She and another onlooker mentioned that crashes in the intersection were unfortunately a common occurrence. One man said a traffic control signal was long overdue.
The incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the WPD Traffic Unit at 768-3315 or the Crime Tip Line at 768-3544.
