Photos: Andrew Goff.

UPDATE, 4:12 p.m. Humboldt Bay Fire characterizes this as a major-injury accident.

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UPDATE, 3:55 p.m. A witness to the crash tells the Outpost’s Andrew Goff that the driver flew across Harris at an extremely high rate of speed. He estimated that the car was traveling at “100 miles per hour.” 

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A driver flew off the roadway and into Sequoia Park near the intersection of Hodgson and P streets this afternoon just after 3 p.m., prompting a large emergency response from local police, firefighters and paramedics.

First responders estimated that the solo driver — an elderly woman — ran some 200 feet off the roadway before her vehicle came to rest against a tree. Firefighters extricated her from the car, carried her to the roadway and an loaded her into an ambulance, which transported her to St. Joseph Hospital. 

Kent Hulbert, a Humboldt Bay Fire battalion commander, told the Outpost at the scene that it appeared the driver was traveling down P Street and for some reason failed to stop at the intersection, instead continuing through and down into the park.

Hodgson Street remains closed while a tow truck attempts to pull the vehicle out of the gully. Arcata Fire moved south to cover calls for Humboldt Bay Fire units that were engaged at the scene.