Crime & Safety
Father Killed, Son Suspected Of DUI In Sonoma Co. Hwy 101 Crash
BREAKING: Authorities have identified a Lake County man killed in a crash Saturday in a construction zone just south of Petaluma.
SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has identified a man who was killed Saturday morning in a solo-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 101 south of Petaluma as Teodulo Tovar, 66, of Lake County. Tovar's son, Teodulo Francisco Tovar Jr., was driving the car and has been arrested on suspicion of DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter, authorities say.
Tovar Jr. suffered serious injuries in the crash and his mother, Veronica April Anderson, 57, of Lakeport, also suffered major injuries. She and Tovar Jr. were taken to Marin General Hospital, CHP Officer Jonathan Sloat said in a news release.
Tovar Jr. was placed under arrest at 3:40 p.m. Saturday after a CHP officer smelled alcohol and suspected the 29-year-old Lakeport man may have been drinking while driving. Tovar Jr. then allegedly admitted he drank alcohol and smoked marijuana earlier Saturday, Sloat said.
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According to the CHP, Tovar Jr. was driving his 2002 Chrysler Sebring convertible south on Highway 101 south of the Petaluma Boulevard South overcrossing around 11:40 a.m. when he drove into an active construction zone adjacent to the right shoulder.
"Despite several 'Road Closure' barricade signs present, Mr. Tovar traveled along the partially constructed roadway for approximately 1.8 miles until he subsequently struck the concrete bridge abutment for the partially constructed San Antonio Creek Bridge," Sloat said.
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RELATED COVERAGE: 1 Dead When Car Drives Off Road In Sonoma County
There is a 30-foot gap of road surface and an open trench just before the bridge abutment and the Chrysler careened off the highway head-on into the abutment, Sloat said.
The Novato Fire Protection District responded to the crash and pronounced the elder Tovar dead at the scene.
The Marin-area CHP also responded and requested the Santa Rosa-area CHP to investigate the crash.
As of Monday morning, Tovar Jr. remained hospitalized for injuries described as "serious."
Bay City News Service contributed to this report.
Image via Shutterstock
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