Full Notification

On May 13, 2018, at approximately 10:33pm, a Santa Rosa Police officer was patrolling the area of Hoen Avenue and Yulupa Avenue when he completed a Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) check on the license plate of a vehicle on the roadway. The officer learned the vehicle had been reported as stolen and attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle as it drove on Hoen Avenue. The driver immediately accelerated westbound Hoen Avenue at a high rate of speed in an attempt to evade the officer. The officer pursued the fleeing vehicle westbound Hoen Avenue until it collided into a Caltrans light pole at the entrance to westbound Highway 12. The vehicle sheered the light pole from its base, left the roadway, and crashed into trees and shrubs in an adjacent field.

Officers gave the driver commands to surrender, and she complied by climbing out of the window of the vehicle. The driver did not suffer any injuries from the collision, however the vehicle suffered significant damage.

Due to the location of the collision on the Highway 12 on-ramp, California Highway Patrol responded to the scene and completed the accident investigation.

The driver was 28-year-old Petaluma resident Edwina Grunseth. Grunseth was booked at the Main Adult Detention Facility for the following;
496d(a)PC - Felony possession of a stolen vehicle,
2800.2(a) VC - Felony evading,
1203.2 PC – Violation of probation (two counts)

For media inquiries, please contact Sergeant Ryan Hepp at rhepp@srcity.org.