A car crashed into a tree, which fell down on southbound Highway 17 south of Summit Road at around 4:30 a.m. Thursday morning blocking both lanes, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver was unharmed, but the accident caused major traffic delays on the busy two-lane highway during peak commute time, which was further slowed due to the rainy weather, a CHP dispatcher said who didn't want to be identified.
The incident was handled by the Monterey CHP, which handles Santa Cruz and other south communities, a CHP dispatcher said.
Caltrans workers worked quickly after the accident to chop down the tree to clear the roadway, CHP said.
