Teen Killed in Fiery Crash Into Creek

SANTA ROSA, CA — A 17-year-old girl was killed and three people were hurt after a speeding car flew off an east side road into a creek and caught fire, Santa Rosa police said Saturday.

The driver, Jaden Pruett Steed, 21, of Santa Rosa, was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.11 percent, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter.

Calls to 911 about 10:15 p.m. Friday reported that a car had driven into a creek on the north side of the 5100 block of Montgomery Drive and was on fire, police said on the department's Facebook page.

The vehicle was westbound when it left the roadway as it entered a curve, became airborne and sheared off a large tree branch, then rolled an unknown number of times and came to rest upright in the creek bed, police said.

Pruett Steed and a 17-year-old boy in the left rear seat got out of the car by themselves and were assisted up the creek's embankment by area residents, police said.

The residents returned to the vehicle and helped pull out a 19-year-old male from the right front seat.

A 17-year-old girl in the right rear seat was declared dead at the scene.

The 19-year-old passenger was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and then airlifted to a burn center, police said.

The 17-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Pruett Steed was taken to a local hospital with apparently minor injuries, police said.

Anyone with relevant information about the incident is asked to contact Accident Investigator John Fisher at (707) 543-8550 or jfisher@srcity.org.

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