Point Reyes Light - September 28, 2000
Muir Beach wreck probed as murder-suicide try
Investigators are considering the possibility that an elderly motorist who inexplicably ran her 1999 Honda Civic off Highway 1 near Muir Beach last Thursday was attempting a murder-suicide.
Harriet Westerlund, 73, of Mill Valley, at 1:25 p.m. was driving with her son toward Muir Beach just north of Green Gulch when the vehicle veered over the southbound lane and plunged 150 feet down an embankment.
Westerlund suffered a moderate head injury and was airlifted to John Muir Community Hospital in Walnut Creek. Her passenger, son Michael Westerlund, 51, also of Mill Valley, was not injured and was released from Marin General.
A California Highway Patrol report notes that one witness saw the Honda go off the highway, but added that "no witnesses reported any apparent cause for the accident." Although there was some fog at the time, the roadway was dry.
Driver's statements Highway Patrol spokesman Marcus Bartholomew said the investigating officer found some of Westerlund's remarks after the accident "inconsistent," which prompted suspicion that the crash may have been intentional. "Our investigation concluded that it was not a traffic collision and we have turned it over to the Sheriff's Department for further investigation," he said.
Don Wick, the Sheriff's detective assigned to the case, said on Wednesday he plans to have more discussions with Westerlund, who remained at John Muir Hospital. "My investigation is still in the infancy stages," Wick explained. "I have not yet made a determination regarding the incident. The driver has not been charged with anything. She is an elderly woman, and we will be looking into her mental state as we look into this."
The incident forced the Highway Patrol to close both lanes of Highway 1 for roughly one hour while a helicopter picked up Westerlund. For two hours after that traffic was limited to one lane.