Madison Avenue Car Accident Backs Up Traffic for Hours

A car accident along west-bound Madison Avenue near Almade Way had traffic backed up for hours as crews worked to remove the wreckage from the side of the street Thursday afternoon.

The accident occurred at 1 p.m. when a late model red Acura Integra was seen by multiple witnesses weaving in and out of traffic lanes, driving at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour, said Citrus Heights Police Department Spokesman Chad Morris.

"He lost control of the vehicle and spun into the tree," Morris said.

The driver of the vehicle, a Hispanic male described as being in his early 20s, was sent to Mercy San Juan Hospital with life threatening injuries.

It is unknown at this time whether drugs and/or alcohol contributed to the accident or why the driver was driving the way he was.

Along with colliding with the tree, the car also partially destroyed a portion of The Orchard Apartment complex's wood fencing along the Madison Ave. sidewalk. Apartment managers Charlie Guzman and Patti Rocha were also among the first to arrive on the scene.

"He was moving around, but I couldn't see his face to see if he was conscious or not," Guzman said. "In fact everyone thought he was dead when they first came out, just because of the amount of blood."

Guzman said it wasn't long, maybe a minute or two, before law enforcement and rescue crews were on the scene.

Rocha and Guzman admitted it's not uncommon to see cars speeding along that particular portion of Madison, though in Guzman's seven months working at the apartment complex it's the first time he's seen an accident.

"We're always concerned about it," Rocha said.

Madison Ave. is expected to remain closed till at least 5 p.m., Morris said. In the meantime, west-bound traffic along the street is being diverted down Fair Oaks Boulevard.