Crime & Safety
Teen Arrested After Deadly Crash, Police Chase In Sonoma County
A 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence after the car he was driving rolled over.
SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A 17-year-old Marin County boy was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence after the car he was driving rolled over during a police pursuit near Petaluma on Saturday, killing a 14-year-old passenger and injuring himself and two more teenagers.
Petaluma police officers were called to a gas station in the 2600 block of Lakeville Highway at about 10:10 p.m. after someone reported seeing a driver of a Kia Sol who appeared intoxicated. Officers observed the Kia driving east on Lakeville Highway and it allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic.
The car contained four teenagers from Marin County. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver of the Kia did not stop, police said, leading to a pursuit.
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During the pursuit, the Kia swerved into oncoming traffic multiple times and sideswiped another car, according to police.
At about 10:18 p.m., the Kia experienced a solo rollover crash off Lakeville Highway near Old Lakeville Road No. 1, just east of the Petaluma city limits. Officers called for first responders and learned that four occupants of the car had been thrown from the vehicle. One passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was declared deceased at the scene.
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The driver, a 17-year-old boy, and the other two passengers, boys aged 15 and 16, were taken to trauma centers with "significant injuries," according to police. As of Sunday, the boys are in stable condition, Santa Rosa Police said.
Detectives are still determining what the relationship is between all the boys. Detectives allege the Kia Sol had recently been stolen out of Marin County.
Based on their investigation, detectives believe the 17-year-old driver was driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, evading causing great bodily injury or death and DUI causing great bodily injury or death.
The driver will be booked into juvenile hall once released from the hospital, police said.
The autopsy for the 14-year-old is scheduled for Monday. His identity has not yet been released.
The Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chiefs Association (SCLECA) Employee-Involved Critical Incident Protocol was initiated, which brings in other agencies to investigate when there is a death in a police pursuit.
The Santa Rosa Police Department responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The California Highway Patrol and the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office also responded to the scene and are participating in the investigation, with the CHP leading the traffic collision investigation.
By Katy St. Clair / Bay City News
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