Coroner Identifies 90-Year-Old Woman Killed In Crash

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A woman who died in a crash Monday on U.S. Highway 101 in Petaluma was identified Wednesday by the Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner's Office as Barbara Solve, a 90-year-old resident of Cotati.

Solve was driving a Honda CRV around 4:42 p.m. Monday in stop-and-go traffic on northbound U.S. 101 south of East Washington Street when she rear-ended a Land Rover Range Rover, the California Highway Patrol said.

Petaluma Fire Department personnel and Santa Rosa CHP officers found Solve suffering major injuries. She was rushed to Petaluma Valley Hospital where she died.

The CHP's preliminary investigation indicated Solve was in the No. 2 lane behind the Land Rover, which was traveling only a few miles per hour because of the traffic conditions, Santa Rosa CHP Spokesperson David deRutte said.

"The Honda was traveling at an unsafe speed for traffic conditions and approached the Range Rover without slowing," deRutte said. "The front of the Honda collided with the rear of the Range Rover causing major damage to the Honda."

The Range Rover driver, a 48-year-old man from Petaluma, suffered minor to moderate injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The CHP asked anyone with information on this crash to call the Santa Rosa CHP office at 707-588-1400.