RB woman driving stolen van arrested after fleeing scene of Anderson crash that injured 5

REDDING — Five people were hospitalized and a woman was arrested after the alleged suspect ran a red light and fled the scene of a traffic collision in Anderson Friday morning, Aug. 17. Two of those who were injured were minors, according to Anderson PD officials.

The victims’ injuries were described as moderate to severe after the hit and run collision, which happened at the intersection of Balls Ferry Rd. and Ventura St.

LEADING THE ANDERSON AREA HEADLINES:

Oregon sex offender arrested near Anderson Teen Center

Woman arrested after Happy Valley traffic stop leads to 1/2 pound of meth

Woman arrested after exchanging gunfire with victims during Millville home burglary

Anderson PD and other emergency first responders were dispatched to the intersection shortly after 11 a.m, after receiving reports of the collision.

When officials arrived at the scene they found two vehicles, described as a maroon Toyota Highlander with major driver’s side damage and a white, full-size, Chevy high-top van with moderate front-end damage.

Officials found seven victims inside the Toyota – many of whom were injured – and found nobody inside the Chevy, which had been left running and abandoned. Vehicle parts and debris were scattered across the roadway and blocking eastbound traffic on Balls Ferry Rd.

Several witnesses and good Samaritans were providing aid and comfort to the victims, according to officials.

Several officers immediately began administering first aid to the injured passengers, while other officers began searching for the suspects who fled the scene. Witnesses told officers that a woman and man fled the area immediately after the crash and provided investigating officers descriptions of both alleged suspects.

Five of the victims were transported by ambulance to a local hospital, Anderson PD officials wrote in a social media release after the accident.

“Within minutes an Anderson Police Officer located the female suspect two blocks west of the collision,” officials later reported. She was identified as Alena Rayn Sogoian, 28, of Red Bluff. Officers conducted a records check and learned Sogoian had three outstanding warrants for her arrest.

A witness at the scene was later able to positively identify Sogoian as the driver of the vehicle, according to officials.

During their investigation, officers learned the Chevy had been reported stolen out of Red Bluff earlier that morning.

Sogoian was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, hit and run causing injury, providing false identification to a peace officer, and driving with a suspended license. She was also booked on her outstanding warrants. She remains in custody on $27,500 bail.

Officers have not yet identified or located the man who fled and officials have described him as 20 to 30-years-old, with a thin build and short, dark, curly hair.

Area resident, Dan Ramelli, later wrote on social media that he witnessed the crash.

“I was in SHOCK that some dirtbag ran away from causing this,” Ramelli wrote. “Glad they caught her!!”

In their social media release, Anderson PD thanked “all of the citizens who assisted with the investigation and who provided medical aid to those in need.”

Anyone with information regarding this collision or who knows the identity or whereabouts of the male who fled are encouraged to immediately contact SHASCOM dispatchers at (530)-245-6526. Callers can remain anonymous.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.