Crash on Northbound 101 Blocks All Lanes for 35 Minutes

A Wednesday morning crash resulted in two injured drivers from Novato and blocked several lanes for 35 minutes on northbound Highway 101 in Novato, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash took place at 7:53 a.m. just south of the ramp to westbound Highway 37, said CHP Officer Eric Hohmeister. The driver of a 1994 Toyota 4Runner was heading north on 101 and in the exit lane for South Novato Boulevard when it collided with a 2003 Ford Ranger pickup in an adjacent lane. Hohmeister said it isn’t determined which vehicle made an unsafe lane change.

After colliding, the SUV and the truck skidded west across all northbound lanes and smashed into the concrete center divider, the CHP report said. The 4Runner then rolled approximately six times before coming to rest in the center and right lane of 101.

Initial reports indicated that four or five vehicles were involved, but it was later determined that only two vehicles were involved, according to the CHP.

The CHP issued a Sig-alert at 8:10 a.m. and said lanes were expected to be blocked for at least 30 minutes. At 8:31 a.m., the slow lane was opened up, and the Sig-alert was canceled one minute later as all lanes were opened.

Hohmeister said the drivers of those two vehicles — Mynor Gramajo, 22, in the SUV and William Lawrence, 55, in the pickup — were transported to Marin General Hospital by Novato Fire District paramedics. Both men were treated for minor scrapes, abrasions and complaints of pain, Hohmeister said.

Traffic was backed up into Ignacio and was expected to remain heavy for a while, the CHP said.

— Bay City News Service; Novato Patch's Brent Ainsworth contributed to this report.