Eureka Police Dept. Press Release:

On 11-6-13 at approximately 8:25 a.m. Eureka Police Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Broadway and the north entrance/exit to the Bayshore Mall on the report of an injury traffic collision involving several vehicles and a light pole.

A CHP Officer and a Humboldt County Sheriff Deputy who were in the area stopped to render aid. Upon EPD’s arrival the Deputy and CHP Officer were detaining 35 year-old Fortuna resident Adren Wilber Flowers Jr. who was later determined to be the at fault driver.

Witnesses on scene explained that after the collision Flowers exited his vehicle and threw a large lunch box into some nearby bushes. The lunch box was found to contain suspected methamphetamine, several syringes, and a scale.

Based on driver and witness statements, it appeared that Flowers was driving a 1995 Dodge 3500 dually southbound on Broadway in the left lane approaching the north entrance/exit to the Bayshore Mall. Flowers said that he fell asleep which caused him to collide into the rear of a 2011 Kia Sportage that was being driven by 61 year-old Paula Arrowsmith-Jones of Eureka. This collision caused the Kia to be pushed forward into a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee being driven by 22 year-old Salem, Oregon resident Kara Bradley, who had been stopped at the red light southbound on Broadway. It also appeared that the Kia was pushed into the right lane of Broadway where it collided with a 1994 Volvo station wagon being driven by 21 year old Eureka resident Nicholas Abler. After the collision Flowers was unable to stop his vehicle which he allowed to veer into the Bayshore Mall entrance/exit. The front of the Dodge collided with a large light pole.

Ambulance personnel were summoned to the collision to render aid to Arrowsmith-Jones, Bradley, and 21 year old Eureka resident Rowan Burnsed (who was a passenger in the Volvo). A four year-old securely restrained in a child seat in the Volvo was not injured.

A CHP Officer conducted sobriety tests on Flowers and determined that he was under the influence of drugs and took him into custody. Flowers was also determined to be driving with a suspended driver’s license (suspended for prior DUI), and on probation two times for driving with a suspended drivers license. Flowers was also found to be uninsured. Flowers was booked into the Humboldt County Jail for felony DUI causing injury, and driving while suspended. A separate case will be forward to the DA’s Office for drug charges (possession of methamphetamine) and probation violation.