[UPDATE 8:27 a.m.] Accident Blocks Northbound Lane Through Richardson Grove, Traffic Crawling Through the Area

Traffic Accident Night feature iconNorthbound Hwy 101 is blocked in Richardson Grove and one way traffic is in effect after a crash, according to a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol. T

The CHP Traffic Incident Information Page has a little more information. It states that someone noted headlights off the road about 5:45 a.m. A Ford Sprinter van was located on its roof approximately 50 feet down the embankment.

An ambulance responded to the incident.

As of 7:50 p.m., a tow truck is still on the scene and attempting recovery. According to Caltrans QuickMap, traffic is moving very slowly in both directions.

Please remember that information gathered from initial reports is subject to revision as more facts become available.

UPDATE 8:27 a.m.: According to the CHP page, recovery of the vehicle is still ongoing. “Additional wreckers needed.”

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

45 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
e
Guest
e
2 years ago

Come on, just do the road work. The bark is not being scrapped off by themselves. We are not even talking about any really big trees anymore.

Martin
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  e

e, I totally agree 100% with your comment. I have driven through there for 60 odd years, and that stretch of road is a death trap! Cal Trans should be able to overcome the damn tree huggers and fix the road. If that stretch of road was in the bay area it would have died years ago! I am just happy that the driver of the van was not killed, and was spotted so they could get help.

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin

‘e’ I don’t agree with you. 35 thru there, no reason to have a crash thru that section of road.

VMG
Guest
VMG
2 years ago
Reply to  e

Try slowing down!

There should have been and still should be a bypass of Richardson Grove!

You may want to cut down all the trees and pave over Humboldt County except for the “greenhouses”, but some of us like the trees and the parks…

Speeding rigs and pickups can slow down, trees take years and years to grow…

YesVGM
Guest
YesVGM
2 years ago
Reply to  VMG

A month ago a southbound big rig went too fast around a tree-laden corner and was heading right for me as he was fully into my lane. Potential head-on collision. He/she over corrected to avoid me and nearly rolled. Yes, everyone just do the speed limit and we will all live.

Non-fiction
Guest
Non-fiction
2 years ago
Reply to  e

BS. You need some unadulterated data to correct that faulty assessment

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Non-fiction

Nonfiction how about you go drive back and forth a few times through the grove, how about start out by waiting at the gas station in Cooks valley. Wait to see a semi truck coming down the hill over the 40 mph limit. Follow that jackass through the 35 mph zone where the trees are at. I bet you will see and be enlightened on how they drive. Certainly it’s not every trucker but every trucker that’s coming down that hill into Cooks valley doing 45 or 50. Will continue to haul ass grabbing for the next gear. Yes I lived in Cooks valley/Piercy and commuted through there sometimes four times a day in each direction… Not trying to say I know it all but I definitely saw plenty of people hauling ass through there like it was their job to get down the road faster even if they were in just a sedan slowed up by a 35 mph zone to try to keep people safe. And yes I have lost friends on that road in a fiery crash that could have been prevented if they weren’t driving fast. Let the trees stand, slow the hell down

Non-fiction
Guest
Non-fiction
2 years ago

I have been there plenty.
Biked it and walked it.
Driven 1tons w 30’trailers through there day and night in front of and behind semis.
It isn’t what I’d call fun but it’s doable if the idiots can be avoided.
Widening the road will embolden the idiots.

These limited myopic perspectives do NOT match the facts.
People have very outsized imaginations and a sense of human importance over all else on the Earth.
It’s a construct of the mind and nothing else.
It’s NOT all about us.
These 1000+ yr old trees may outlive the very usefulness of cars.
Such conceit!!
Down w Manifest Destiny.

See Rex Trevor’s comment below.

Slow the fk down people.

This morns accident could have been avoided.

It would be great if we could keep everyone safe but that’s never gonna happen.
Life is full of risk, live it.

Pretty please with cherries on top, remove thy cranium from thy rectum folks. It’s awful dark in there.

Delta
Guest
Delta
2 years ago
Reply to  e

Nah.

Humboldt needs to stay rugged and remote. Keeps the riff-raff at bay.

People can just slow the fkk down while driving. And our roads can keep on chewing up and spitting out the city folk and yuppie giackasses that wander up here. 😬

Fine by me.

Xebeche
Guest
Xebeche
2 years ago

I prefer trees to people. Leave the road alone & enforce, maybe even reduce, the speed limit.

Martin
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Xebeche

You want to leave a road alone that has killed and injured many people over the years. Have you ever driven that section before? Reducing the speed limit is not going to stop people from crossing the line or hitting a tree! Ever wonder where all the redwood bark is going from the trees through there?

Old piercy resident
Guest
Old piercy resident
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin

They raised the speed limit there 5mph about 15 years ago. If caltrans was concerned about safety, why did they raise the speed limit?

Rex Trevor
Guest
Rex Trevor
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin

Martin. Do you actually know how many people have been killed going through RG “over the years”?

FYI, since 1985 there have been three deaths. All back in the ’80s. Two were motorcyclists up here for the Biker’s Run that used to be down at French’s Camp, they crashed head on when one of them, impatient to get where he was going, pulled out of the slowed north lane, passed over the double yellow line (illegal) and proceeded to race down the south lane until he smashed into another cyclist, killing both of them.
The other death occurred when an 18 year old in a Porsche entered the Grove heading north at an extremely high rate of speed, became airborne and crashed into a vehicle heading south killing one passenger.

I have traveled on that road for over 43 years and just about every accident that has occurred was because people were at fault. I, myself, was right behind someone who ran off the road early one AM into a tree because he fell asleep at the wheel. He was lucky and escaped serious injury. He wasn’t going that fast and it was a small tree he hit, which actually kept him from going down an embankment.

Stop spreading BS just because YOU think something should be done about a conflated number of accidents and deaths that only exist in your mind.

Furthermore, IF Caltrans does get to “widen the road”, whatever that turns out to mean, you can be sure of one effect: People will believe that the Grove is safer and will drive faster. With more and more big rigs going through in the mix there will be much worse accidents ahead. It’s only a two lane road to begin with and that’s what it will still be.
Like the old saying goes – Be careful what you wish for.

Xebeche
Guest
Xebeche
2 years ago
Reply to  Rex Trevor

Thank you for accurate and pertinent information. I remember the MC wreck though not the porsche. I do know that the problem is always people in too much of a hurry. All that is needed is signage that says 25 instead of 35. It will take an extra 3 minutes to get through the grove and it is good for mental health and blood pressure ☺

Martin
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Rex Trevor

Rex, One death is too many. I might add that you should be careful also for what you wish for. There might be a tree there with your name on it. THE ROAD NEEDS TO BE FIXED PERIOD!!!!!!

Non-fiction
Guest
Non-fiction
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin

There is no such thing as a safe road.
Hazards and risks can only be mitigated not eliminated.

Martin
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Rex Trevor

Rex Trevor, I don’t spread BS like yourself. If I did it would probably be one someone commenting to me. I am sure if you ever had a family member seriously injured or killed on that stretch you would feel completely different about improving the road. Try not to take any bark off those sad little redwood trees please.

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin

Martin, you have got it all mixed up The road didn’t kill people, nor the trees. People killed themselves driving too fast or driving vehicles that are not qualified to be on the road in their hands. Such as large RVs we’re semi trucks driving just too fast…

Blondie
Guest
Blondie
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin

Well then Martin, if one death is too many … how do you suggest we improve the roomy and wide open hwy 101 lanes between SoHum and Eureka where there are MANY fatal accidents. Your premise is bunk.

Like Rex, I’ve traveled the RG road for decades. Safely. In all weather conditions.
Speeding, aggressive driving and/or distracted driving has been the clear culprit in most accidents wherever they may occur.

o
Guest
o
2 years ago
Reply to  Martin

I have driven that section of road for 54 years now. I have driven trucks, pickups, cars and rigs with trailers through there. I have never wrecked, hit a tree or vehicle or a pedestrian in Richardson’s Grove. It’s mostly about paying attention. The law should change so cell phones must be locked in the trunk or a secure box if your vehicle does not have a trunk. Talking on your cell phone should cost $5,000 each instance for drivers if your vehicle is moving. Texting should cost $10,000 in a moving vehicle. People should lose their driving license for a minimum of three years. This would solve the problem. Save the trees. They are smarter than the idiots that drive the roads. It is time to seriously re-consider building new roads. We may not want to waste the money on a future that is not guaranteed. Climate change will change everything and it is happening now.

A fun challenge!
Guest
A fun challenge!
2 years ago

Making Richardson Grove the symbol of all things ecologically sacred degrades the reputation of the environmental “movement”. There are stunning groves of trees that don’t have highways and schlocky gift shops and gas stations. There are acres and acres getting logged that aren’t so passively observed.
A challenge: go to Richardson Grove. (Double challenge: ride through RG on a bicycle)Now continue to the Confusion Hill bypass. Gaze at the pristine mixed conifer/hardwood forest impacted by the new bridges. Did you know that there are other forest types besides redwood?! Drive home and stop for a few hours in Rockefeller Grove. Walk around. Any gas stations? Chainsaw carvings? Weed store? How wide is the road? Ok cool. Now you have some more perspective.

Miguel
Guest
Miguel
2 years ago

Cut some trees and make a safer road damn it!

Xebeche
Guest
Xebeche
2 years ago
Reply to  Miguel

Slow down and make the road safer for all of us AND save a few million dollars.

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Miguel

Miguel you too, do you really think the trees are stepping out in front of people. No that’s not what’s happening. Drive the road several times in a row. Follow some speeding truckers, speed ing egomaniacs in their big giant trucks, and fast cars through there and you’ll see what the problem is. Don’t speak if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Sick of this conversation

Miguel
Guest
Miguel
2 years ago

Good, stay out of it. You can’t fix stupid, can’t fix non attentive drivers, can’t fix sleepy, drug addled or drunk drivers but you can make a roadway less prone to their demented behavior that affects well meaning and safe drivers. Give the good drivers a chance to get to their destination. If I really have to explain it to you, no, I don’t think trees step into the roadway. Clean your windshield Muddy Dodge, or pull your head out. The journey becomes clear.

Non-fiction
Guest
Non-fiction
2 years ago
Reply to  Miguel

Miguel, 3 people dead in 35yrs from operator negligence.

How’s removing the trees gonna change that?

Take off the blinders!

It’s not worth the broad spectrum value of the trees.
Removing them won’t fix the problem.
Many more deaths along much wider & 2 lane areas of 101.
It’s a people problem not a tree problem.

Slow down…get over it.

Short sided bandaids don’t solve problems and are only diversions from any actual solutions.

Miguel
Guest
Miguel
2 years ago
Reply to  Non-fiction

What does death count have to do with this? There doesn’t have to be fatalities to cause pain and suffering. Let me say this slowly for ya, removing some trees will allow for realignment and widening. Just removing trees will do squat. Telling bonehead drivers to slow down and drive cautiously will do squat. Making a safer road will do some good.

Non-fiction
Guest
Non-fiction
2 years ago
Reply to  Miguel

Ok Miguel…and as you suggest, when it’s realigned, how many will he emboldened and wipeout on the tight banked right hand curve to Benbow at the souvenir shop?

Where does it end?

With people slowing down, that’s when.

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago

Just transplant them.

Problem solved.

Don Matta
Guest
Don Matta
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Now THAT I would spend money I don’t have & can’t afford to buy a ticket to see!!! Please feel free to transplant as many Redwoods as you can carry!!!

Guest
Guest
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Don Matta

Check out the world record tree transplants. One took almost 4 years, from Nov 1990 to Oct 1994.

Full weight, 2.75 million pounds.

It could be done.

onrust
Guest
onrust
2 years ago
Reply to  Guest

People transplant pretty well, dead or alive.

Bobo
Guest
Bobo
2 years ago

That spot scares the hell out of me every time I pull a trailer through there.

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Bobo

How about you tell us why, no need to speak up and say you’re scared of driving through the trees if you don’t tell us why. Otherwise don’t tell us anything do us all a favor jackass

Non-fiction
Guest
Non-fiction
2 years ago

On hundreds of trips thru there, trailer or not, never had a problem except w the idiots, bozos, & incapable drivers.

Increase the training requirements for a driver’s license

Antichrist
Guest
Antichrist
2 years ago

I find it funny that some people have a huge problem with cutting down a couple of trees , which do happen to be renewable you plant a tree and it grows …. maybe not as large but given the right amount of time it will one day be as big, yet they have zero problems creating and supporting the creation of such massive debt that their grandchildren’s grandchildren’s will still be paying on that same debt without receiving a single benefit from said debt .

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  Antichrist

Anarchist 👎. You’re not helping.

Non-fiction
Guest
Non-fiction
2 years ago
Reply to  Antichrist

These Giants are found nowhere else on earth besides NW CA and SW OR.

Removing them will not fix the people problem.

A fun challenge!
Guest
A fun challenge!
2 years ago
Reply to  Non-fiction

Richardson Grove is the lamest example of a redwood forest in the whole zone. Drive the huge four lane stretch of 101 around Redcrest. Awsome. Go all the way to Scotia, and observe the huge log deck. Of redwoods. They came from somewhere. Somewhere harder to see. Pick out two or three of those. That’s what’s getting cut from RG.

onrust
Guest
onrust
2 years ago
Reply to  Antichrist

I don’t mind cutting down a few trees. I do mind paying lots of money to cater to idiots and I do believe the life of a tree is more sacred than the life an idiot.

Bug on a Windshield
Guest
Bug on a Windshield
2 years ago

If we can’t NOT cut down a 1,000 year old tree after only being here a few hundred years ourselves, what makes anyone think we can set aside a new tree sprout for the next 1,000 years?

If you want a straight fast road, go elsewhere. There are plenty to be found.

ThinkThenAct
Guest
ThinkThenAct
2 years ago

Cut down the RG trees and people will drive faster and have more serious wrecks. Reciting a gun lover’s logic, trees don’t kill people, people kill people.

Muddy Black Dodge
Guest
2 years ago
Reply to  ThinkThenAct

Reply then think, 👍

Miguel
Guest
Miguel
2 years ago

‘Bartender! Ice tea for Black Dodge please ‘

Redwood Country Mama
Guest
Redwood Country Mama
2 years ago

If a van is 50′ down an embankment, that is probably the turn at Legend of Bigfoot. Lots of people pulling over on both sides and running across 101. This spot is on a blind turn where folks speed up AFTER going through the Grove. Shaving Old Growth roots in the Grove will not change the number of accidents that happen in this stretch of 101. Ask any Piercy Volunteer Fire Department member responding to numerous accidents.