Retired Petaluma Doctor Dies In Bicycle Collision

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — UPDATE: The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has identified a bicyclist who
died in a collision with a vehicle Wednesday morning as Paul Umino, 74, of Petaluma. Umino, a retired Petaluma physician, was killed when he turned his bicycle into the path of a Toyota Rav4 traveling behind him on Valley Ford Road near Gericke Road west of Petaluma, California Highway Patrol Officer Jon Sloat said.

Umino and his wife were both riding west on the right shoulder of Valley Ford Road when the collision occurred.

Umino, who practiced at the El Rose Medical Group in Petaluma, was pronounced dead at the scene.

ORGINAL POST: A Petaluma cyclist died Wednesday in a crash with an SUV on Valley Ford Road near the Bloomfield area, according to the California Highway Patrol. The collision involving a Toyota RAV4 SUV and the bicyclist was reported at 10:21 a.m. on Valley Ford near Gericke Road, the CHP reported.

CHP Officer Jonathan Sloat said a preliminary investigation indicated the 74-year-old Petaluma resident, and his wife were cycling westbound on Valley Ford approaching Gericke as a 68-year-old Novato woman driving a 1999 Toyota RAV 4 was also traveling westbound on Valley Ford.

The Toyota driver was approaching Gericke at approximately 50 mph when the Petaluma man attempted to make a left turn onto Gericke, directly in the path of the Toyota, Sloat said.

She hit her brakes but could not avoid a collision and the Toyota struck the cyclist, Sloat said.

CPR was started immediately, however, the Petaluma man died at the scene.

One-way traffic control was implemented on Valley Ford as the crash was investigated.

Neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be factors in the collision, Sloat said.

The name of the deceased man will be released once his family members are notified, Sloat said.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

NOTE: This article has been updated with to correct the age of the victim.

Patch file photo by Maggie Avants