Calistoga Crash Victim Identified As Sonoma County Man

NAPA COUNTY, CA — A man killed in a fiery crash near Calistoga this week was a Sonoma County resident, the Napa County Sheriff-Coroner's Office said Friday. Coroner's officials have notified the family members of the deceased, who was identified as Tai Anh Vu, 51, of Santa Rosa, Napa County sheriff's Spokesman Henry Wofford said.

The crash and subsequent fire were reported at 8:32 p.m. Wednesday at Tubbs Lane and state Highway 128, just outside Calistoga city limits, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Vu was driving a 2000 white Dodge minivan westbound on Tubbs Lane toward SR-128, when, for an unknown reason, he failed to stop at the intersection and collided with a large water transport truck that was traveling northbound on SR-128, CHP officials said.

The front of the 1980 Chevy water truck collided with the driver's side of the minivan, according to the CHP.

A retired firefighter-paramedic told reporters he tried to rescue Vu from the minivan that caught fire as a result of the crash.

Vu, however, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The truck driver, a 35-year-old Middletown man, was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of lacerations to his arm and head, according to CHP Napa Area Spokesman Marc Renspurger.

The deadly crash closed SR-128 for three hours, Renspurger said.