Man Dies When Truck Crashes Off Private Sonoma County Road: CHP

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The California Highway Patrol was continuing its investigation Thursday of a fatality Wednesday on private, gated property in rural, unincorporated Sonoma County north of state Highway 116 and Guerneville. CHP responded at 5:28 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a collision at 18501 Sweetwater Springs Road, and found a deceased man whose body was pinned beneath a 1983 Toyota pickup truck at the bottom of a hillside, CHP Santa Rosa Area Spokesman David deRutte said in a news release.

It appeared the man was an occupant of the pickup truck and was not wearing a seat belt when it went off the edge of a private road, deRutte said.

The truck overturned as it traveled down a steep hillside, partially ejecting the man. The truck came to rest on its roof at the bottom of the hill, leaving the man pinned underneath the vehicle, deRutte said.

CHP believes the crash, which was about a mile off the main road, happened sometime Wednesday afternoon.

It was not immediately clear whether the deceased man was the driver or a passenger, and deRutte said no witnesses were around to speak with officers.

"There was a backhoe located at the scene and preliminary investigation indicates an unknown party attempted to use the backhoe to lift the Toyota off the subject," deRutte said.

The driver of the backhoe was not at the scene and was not located during the preliminary investigation, according to CHP.

In addition to CHP, personnel from the Sonoma County coroner's office and a local fire department also responded to the scene.

The victim had identification but his name was not being released pending notification of his next of kin.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call 707-588-1400.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.