Tragedy on Sand Hill Road

Circa 1981—Woodside/Portola Valley

Before I became a police officer for Stanford University I worked for the oldest running private patrol in the state of California at that time—The Woodside Patrol. Because it was so old and the long standing relationship with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, we worked closely with their deputies and a few California Highway Patrolmen. We were even permitted to equip our patrol cars with radios using their frequency. They even assigned us call signs. Mine was 10-Paul 26. We put out twice as many patrol cars as the sheriff in Woodside and Portola Valley, so it wasn’t unusual for them to ask us to respond to a burglar alarm or an accident when they had an extended ETA. I once waited 45 minutes for them to arrive at a burglary.

On a quiet Saturday night I was asked to Respond to Sand hill Road between Portola Road and Highway 280 on a report of a traffic accident. I was in Portola Valley and there was no traffic on the road as it was about 2:30 in the morning. I pushed it a little beyond the speed limit and got onto Sand Hill Road. As I neared Highway 280 I saw carnage on the road…steam from radiators, oil, water, transmission fluid, glass and parts all over the road.

One the roadway in front of me was a Toyota Celica, its front bumper smashed into the car where the windshield used to be. There was silence like I never heard before, except for the hissing of escaping steam. I walked toward the Celica afraid of what I was going to find. As I looked into the window I felt as if I was hovering above the scene watching myself. Then I began to peak in and everything seemed to switch to slow motion.

In the passenger side sat a young woman about 22 years old slumped forward. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely from the forehead. Her arms and legs were broken. I looked over to the driver, a young man around the age of 25, and it was a hideous sight. The steering wheel column impaled him forcing its way all the way through the front of his chest and exiting out the rear of the drivers seat. It was safe to say he was dead. No coroner needed for that conclusion.

I then noticed a full-size green Ford 4X4 truck laying on its side down the south side embankment all mangled. I could see two people in the cab, both unconscious. I got on the radio, gave the dispatcher an assessment and asked for fire, paramedics, and the Highway Patrol.

I returned to the car quickly to see if I could get some vitals on the girl, but as I did so I heard some one say, “This one’s dead.” I was so focused that I didn’t even hear the Highway Patrolman pull up, get out of his car and approach the accident. I was so glad he was there. It was his problem now.

The Result
The accident was attributed to drunk driving. Both the occupants of the Celica had very high blood/alcohol ratios. The accident occurred when the Celica veered into the path of oncoming Ford pickup. The Celica driver was dead, the passenger died enroute to the hospital. The Ford occupants sustained extensive injuries, but later recovered.

Copyright (c), ANDY HOLMES, 2005