Atmospheric river creating dangerous driving conditions in Bay Area
For some drivers in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the relentless rain was more than an inconvenience, it proved dangerous.
A 1994 Jeep Cherokee plunged 15 to 20 feet down an embankment in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Saturday afternoon. Driver Pedro Silva and his brother Ignacio Silva, the passenger, were unharmed.
"The Jeep just started slipping and spinning. I tried to brake, but the brakes didn't work," said Pedro Silva.
Pedro Silva said there was a lot of water on the road. It happened around 4 o'clock on Redwood Gulch Road at a steep downhill hairpin turn.
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"The Jeep just went like this and reversed. When the car stopped, I said, 'Oh my goodness, what happened,'" recalled Silva.
The SUV landed upside down on a creek.
"I was worried about my brother. I said, 'Are you OK?' He said, 'I'm OK,'" said Pedro Silva.
"I tried to open the door from the Jeep and tried to help my brother to climb out," recalled Ignacio Silva.
They were driving home to Redwood City from their tree-cutting work in the mountains. A co-worker in another car witnessed the spinout.
"I just helped them get out, climb out up the rocky embankment," said Brig Ord, the victims' co-worker.
The tow truck drivers who worked to retrieve Jeep out of the embankment said the last week has been very busy.
"If it's raining too hard, stay home. Check your tires (to see) if you have low tread," advised Paul Lima of Lima Towing.
At the Scotts Valley Safeway, some residents living in remote parts of the mountains were stocking up on food and water. Mountain residents worried about mudslides, downed trees, and power outages.
"I was trying to time it from the weather report so that I could come to get what I need and get out," said Boulder Creek resident Lorene Johnson.
For Pedro Silva, even though he's sad about losing his beloved Jeep, he's thankful they walked away without a scratch.
"We are lucky; we are good," said Silva.
