Petaluma Woman Killed at Camp Meeker

A 61-year-old Petaluma woman died Friday after a car missed a curve on the Bohemian Highway and slammed into a crowd of people waiting to take a zipline ride at the Redwood Alliance Christian Conference Grounds, the California Highway Patrol said.

A spokesperson from the Sonoma County Coroner's Office confirmed Saturday that the victim was Nola Mary Wolf of Petaluma.

Seven people were waiting in a wood, U-shaped shack for the zipline ride through the trees on the grounds of the Christian retreat near Camp Meeker around 1:30 p.m. when the accident occurred, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.

Johnella Thomas, 74, of San Francisco, was driving with a female passenger in a 2010 Mercedes north on Bohemian Highway when she accelerated through a curve at a high rate of speed, Sloat said.

The car drove into a corner of the shack and struck the Petaluma woman who was sitting on a bench, killing her instantly, Sloat said. The woman's husband was not injured and her 63-year-old sister visiting from Indiana suffered minor injuries, Sloat said. The Petaluma woman's name was not released.

Ginger Bird, 46, of Vacaville, also suffered minor injuries, Sloat said. It's not clear where she was when she suffered her injuries.

The Mercedes then launched over a creek, struck an embankment and overturned, Sloat said. Thomas suffered moderate injuries and her passenger was not injured, Sloat said.

Sloat said the gathering was a family outing and there would have been more casualties if the Mercedes drove into the middle of the shack. It's possible Thomas suffered a medical emergency that caused her to drive through the curve in the highway, Sloat said.

-Bay City News