Lakeville Highway Crash: Petaluma Woman Trapped In Car, Suffers Major Injuries, Police Say

PETALUMA, CA — A crash Thursday morning on Lakeville Highway in Petaluma left a local woman with major injuries and prompted a three-hour closure of the roadway, police said. The collision involving a gray Ford Escape and a silver Nissan Sentra at the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Pine View Way was reported at 10:17 a.m. by several 911 callers, Petaluma police Lt. Ron Klein said in a news release.

Based on evidence at the scene and statements of involved parties, police believe the driver of the Sentra, 70-year-old Petaluma resident Dorothy De Mare, was making a left turn from the stop sign at Pine View Way, toward Petaluma, as the driver of the Escape 69-year-old Camino resident Terry McCoy, was traveling eastbound on Lakeville.

"De Mare pulled out in front of her causing her Ford Escape to collide with the driver’s side of the Nissan Sentra," Klein said. "The impact of the collision caused major damage to the front of the Ford and the driver’s side of the Nissan."

Police believe McCoy was traveling the speed limit, 45 mph, at the time of the collision.

"After the two cars collided the Nissan driven by De Mare continued to drive forward and did not stop until nearly 200 feet in a field east of Lakeville Highway," Klein said.

De Mare became trapped in her car, the lieutenant said.

After she was freed by Petaluma Fire Department personnel, she was taken by ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of major injuries, according to Klein.

McCoy suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Petaluma Valley Hospital. She has since been released from the hospital.

As the collision was being investigated, traffic was diverted onto Browns Lane.

The roadway was reopened sometime after 1 p.m.

Petaluma police are still investigating the crash and ask anyone who witnessed it to call Traffic Officer Matt Frick at 707-776-3720.

Patch file photo by Maggie Avants