Date:               01-09-2022     

Location:        South State St. @ Beacon Lane

Incident:         Fatal Traffic Collision

Decedent:       Charles Partridge (52-year-old male of Ukiah)

On 01/11/2022 at approximately 5:09 PM, UPD officers and Ukiah Valley Fire units were dispatched to the area of S. State St. and Beacon Ln. for a traffic collision involving a sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a motorcycle.  Upon arrival, officers observed a male subject, who was later identified as Charles Partridge, lying on the ground along the west side of S. State Street, as well a motorcycle that was in the parking lot of El Molcajete restaurant.  It was determined Partridge had been the rider of the motorcycle.  He was unresponsive and received medical attention from EMS and Fire personnel who were at the scene.  Life saving measures were unsuccessful and he was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The other involved vehicle was a full-sized SUV.  None of the occupants of this vehicle sustained injuries, but were assessed by EMS at the scene.  The SUV sustained major damage to its driver side.  Both the SUV and the motorcycle were impounded as evidence by UPD. 

South State St. was closed from Beacon Ln. through Wabash Ave. so the scene of the collision could be processed.  UPD Detectives and Mendocino District Attorney’s Investigators were summoned to assist with this investigation.  The roadway was closed for approximately five hours.

The investigation into this collision is on-going and UPD would like to urge anyone who witnessed the collision itself to contact UPD Detectives to provide additional information.  At this time the investigation shows that the motorcycle was traveling southbound and collided with the SUV as the SUV was making a left turn out of the El Molcajete parking lot to travel northbound on S. State Street. 

UPD would like to thank CHP, MCSO and the Mendocino District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with this incident.  Also, UPD would like to remind the public to exercise safe and defensive driving techniques and to follow the speed limits.

As always, our mission at UPD is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cellphone, and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website; www.ukiahpolice.com           

Prepared by: Lt. Andy Phillips