A Sonoma man was seriously injured and had to be extricated from his crushed vehicle following a Tuesday evening crash on Carriger Road that authorities suspect was caused by drunken driving.
The crash occurred at around 7:10 p.m. Tuesday when 50-year-old Charles Purdom, while heading northbound in his green 2011 Jeep Cherokee, veered onto the shoulder of Carriger Road, then overcorrected and slammed into a tree on the opposite side of the roadway north of Craig Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Purdom sustained major injuries and was trapped inside the Cherokee, requiring his extrication by the Sonoma Valley Fire Department. The vehicle was so badly wrecked it took about an hour to remove him, authorities said. From there Purdom was rushed by CHP helicopter to Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa.
In a statement, the CHP said Purdom was traveling about 45 miles per hour and “was being reported to 911 as a possible intoxicated driver” prior to the crash. He was not wearing a seatbelt, according to reports.
Carriger Road was closed for two hours Tuesday night as emergency responders first removed Purdom from the vehicle, then cleaned up the crash site.
Purdom was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
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