Linda woman dies in rollover accident

A Linda woman was killed Wednesday afternoon when she lost control of her car, crashed into an orchard and was ejected from the vehicle.

Susan Cantrell, 40, was driving west on Hammonton-Smartsville Road near Griffith Avenue around 2:04 p.m. when she drifted left, overcorrected and hit the ditch on the right side of the road, causing her car to overturn several times into an orchard, said California Highway Patrol Officer Brandt Anderson. Her Saturn sheared off two fruit trees before landing upside down, and because she was not restrained, Cantrell was thrown from the vehicle.

Cantrell was transported by Bi-County Ambulance to Rideout Memorial Hospital, but did not survive.

It's possible the outcome would have been different if she had been wearing a seat belt, Anderson said.

Drugs or alcohol are not suspected to be a factor.

Rob Terrassa was driving home to Grass Valley after showing off the new Yuba College public safety facility to his son, Pat Terrassa, when they saw the accident take place.

"We were having a conversation and the next thing you know we saw the car overturn," Rob Terrassa said.

Both men have emergency medical training and performed CPR until the ambulance arrived.

"I think it gave some comfort to the family that we were working on her right away," Rob Terrassa said.

At least one relative had been driving behind the woman when the accident happened and others lived nearby, according to the CHP and witnesses.

As law enforcement investigated the crash, a cluster of men, women and children gathered crying near the orchard.

CONTACT reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4783.