Authorities ID Driver Killed In U.S. Hwy 101 Crash In Cloverdale

SONOMA COUNTY, CA —Authorities identified a Lake County man as the driver killed Wednesday morning in a collision on U.S. Highway 101 in Cloverdale.

Orion Torney, 44, was a resident of Upper Lake, the Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner's Office said Friday.

Torney was driving a Kia Forte northbound on U.S. 101 at 5:20 a.m. Wednesday when he lost control of his car and collided with the concrete center median, the California Highway Patrol's preliminary investigation indicated.

The Forte overturned and landed in the middle of both northbound lanes just north of state Highway 128, CHP Officer David deRutte said.

Two drivers who were also headed northbound then collided with Torney's car, deRutte said.

A Santa Rosa man in a Kia Optima sideswiped the Forte.

Then a Rohnert Park man in a Chrysler 200 hit the front of the Forte.

CHP believes Torney was trying to get out of his car when the collision with the Chrysler happened. Torney was ejected from the car, causing fatal injuries, deRutte said.

Two passengers in Torney's car suffered moderate to major injuries, and the driver of the Chrysler suffered moderate injuries.

Authorities are investigating whether Torney may have been under the influence at the time of the crash, deRutte said Friday.

The CHP asked anyone who witnessed the collision or events leading up to it to call the Santa Rosa CHP Office at 707-588-1400.

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