HWY 4 Thanksgiving Crash Mother and Daughter -- Nov 26, 2017

The California Highway Patrol on Monday released the names of a woman and her daughter who were killed in a crash Thanksgiving Day when their vehicle hit a black bear on Highway 4 between Murphy’s and Angels Camp. They were identified as Copperopolis residents 27-year-old Sarah Rae Rohde. The crash occurred at approximately 6 p.m. Thursday on Highway 4 west of Holiday Mine Road. Conditions at the time of the crash were described as cloudy and dry. Sundown on Thursday occurred about 4:45 p.m. Rohde, it was reported, was driving a 2002 Subaru Impreza west on Highway 4 at 55 to 60 miles per hour. A black bear entered the roadway at that time directly in the path of the Subaru. The vehicle struck the bear, killing it. At the same time, “force of the impact with the bear caused major intrusion into the passenger compartment of the vehicle,” police are quoted as saying. The driver of the car and her 19-month-old infant passenger sustained fatal injuries as a result of the impact. A 4-year-old boy in the car, identified as Julian Harris, also of Copperopolis, was flown to a hospital in Sacramento for treatment. Alcohol and drugs were not believed to be factors in the crash.