25 September 2012, at approx. 3:56 pm, Sonora Police Department
responded to the intersection of N. Washington Street and Columbia Way
for a reported vehicle vs. pedestrian accident.
A vehicle that was southbound on N. Washington Street stopped to
allow Ashlee Chatfield, 19 of Sonora, to cross N. Washington Street, in
a marked crosswalk, at the intersection of N. Washington Street and
Columbia Way.
Meagan Flood, 22 of Sonora, was stopped at a stop sign,
eastbound on School Street, in a raised Ford F-350 pick-up, waiting to
make a left turn onto N. Washington Street, so she could travel
northbound on N. Washington Street. When Flood observed the southbound
vehicle stop, she felt they had stopped to allow her to make a left
turn.
Flood looked to her right and saw no approaching northbound
traffic, so she accelerated across the intersection, not noticing that
Chatfield was crossing the street in the marked crosswalk on N.
Washington Street. As Flood accelerated, her vehicle struck Chatfield in
the crosswalk. The impact knocked Chatfield to the pavement and then
Flood’s vehicle ran over the top of Chatfield.
Chatfield sustained major head and body trauma as a result of
the accident. She was airlifted to a hospital in Modesto for treatment.
At the time of this release we don’t have an updated condition of
Chatfield. The investigation into this matter is continuing.
