May 18, 2007 11:52 pm US/Pacific
State Sen. Migden In Car Crash; Cell Phone Blamed
FAIRFIELD (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
State Sen. Carole Migden rear-ended a car on Highway 12 near Fairfield Friday that left one person with minor injuries, the California Highway Patrol said.
Migden, D-San Francisco, was traveling eastbound on the highway at Beck Avenue when she failed to notice traffic stopping for a red light at around 10:40 a.m., according to CHP Officer M.A. Williford.
Migden's 2007 Toyota Highlander then collided into the rear of a 2005 Honda sedan.
Migden was apparently reaching for her ringing cell phone just before she hit the sedan, the senator's office said in a statement.
"In reaching for the phone, (Migden) took her eyes off the road," spokeswoman Tracy Fairchild said in the statement. "She was not injured, and later passed a routine breathalyzer test and then she drove her car home."
The driver of the Honda, identified as 31-year-old Ellen Butawan, of Vallejo, suffered minor injuries and was transported as a precaution to NorthBay Hospital.
A 2003 GMC Savanna van in front of Butawan's Honda was also slightly damaged in the collision, Officer Williford said. That driver was uninjured.
No citations were issued, the CHP said. Migden was on her way to a meeting in Marin County at the time of the crash.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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