Sonoma Co. Coroner IDs Man Found Dead Under Crashed Pickup Truck

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Authorities have identified a man discovered dead last week beneath an overturned Toyota pickup truck on private property in a rural, unincorporated area of Sonoma County north of Guerneville and east of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. The Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner's Office identified the deceased Tuesday as Brian Simone Forbs, a 34-year-old man from Costa Rica.

An investigation into the Costa Rican's death was continuing Tuesday, according to California Highway Patrol Spokesman David deRutte.

Santa Rosa-Area CHP officers were dispatched at 5:28 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, to a report of a collision on private property at 18501 Sweetwater Springs Road, deRutte said.

About 1 mile beyond the gated entrance to the private property, emergency personnel located a 1983 Toyota pickup truck on its roof at the bottom of a steep hillside.

Forbs was pinned beneath the truck, deceased, upon officers' arrival, according to deRutte.

CHP officers determined Forbs was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected from the truck as it went off the road's edge and down the hillside.

"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.

Reached Tuesday, deRutte said CHP had not yet determined whether Forbs was driving the truck or riding as a passenger.

"It is still under investigation so we don't really have an answer until the report is completed," deRutte told Patch.

Whomever drove the backhoe was not at the scene and was not located during CHP's preliminary investigation, nor were any witnesses, deRutte said.

Anyone with information that might be helpful in the crash investigation is encouraged to call CHP's Santa Rosa-Area Office at 707-588-1400.

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