Wet weather plays role in 6 crashes on Highway 17 Friday morning

California Highway Patrol responded to six accidents on the Santa Cruz County side of highway 17 Friday morning.

Officers say wet weather playing a big role in the high number of accident’s we’ve seen the past few days.

One of those crashes near Pasatiempo Drive ended with a car down an embankment.

The driver Tanya Hernandez says they were headed home from celebrating Thanksgiving at her dad’s house when, “we hit a water pocket in my moms truck and swerved off of the freeway and over the embankment and me and my eight-year-old daughter were in the truck.”

Thankfully Hernandez and her daughter were able to walk away without injury, but terrifying none the less, “it was a scary, but we are safe, And thank God nobody else was involved in that, we were wearing your seatbelt, so wear your seatbelt and pay attention drive slow you know be cautious.”

CHP Officer Gilbert Corona says speed often plays a factor in the accidents, “people are speeding and underestimate traction between their tires and the roadway. So if you watch your speed and be ready to stop because you never know if someone else might have crashed. You might be driving well but it could be someone else that crashes ahead of you.”

They are not the only ones getting an abundance of calls for service in this rainy weather.

Great America Towing company employee, Steven Smoldt, says they’ve been assisting with accidents nonstop, “it’s the first rain of the season, so cars are sliding off the roads a lot of people are losing control of their vehicles and sliding.”

A reminder from CHP and towing companies, when they are assisting drivers or clearing accidents on the side of the road; move over a lane or slow down.