Man In Critical Condition After Sonoma County Police Pursuit & Crash

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- A man who suffered major injuries in a solo vehicle crash in Sonoma County on Wednesday was listed in critical but stable condition on Thursday at Stanford Medical Center.

Kyle Lawrence Byrne, 32, of Redwood Valley in Mendocino County was a passenger in a 2006 Chevrolet SUV driven by Mary Sydney Schaefer, 33, of Ukiah.

A Cloverdale police officer tried to pull over the SUV for passing cars at highway speed on northbound South Cloverdale Boulevard around 12:30 p.m., Cloverdale police Chief Stephen Cramer said.

Schaefer made a U-turn and sped down South Cloverdale Boulevard onto Dutcher Creek Road. Two Cloverdale police officers pursued the SUV but slowed down when the SUV reached 100 mph, Cramer said.

The officers then came upon the SUV, which had crashed at Dutcher Creek and Dry Creek roads south of Cloverdale. The car landed on its roof with the front end facing the Dutcher Creek bed, Cramer said.

Schaefer suffered a broken pelvis and head bruises and was arrested on suspicion of evading police. Byrne suffered a broken neck and back and a torn aorta, according to Cramer.

They were both taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital but Byrne was then flown to Stanford Medical Center, Cramer said.

Schafer was driving on a suspended license, Cramer said.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Shutterstock