Authorities ID Driver Killed In US Hwy 101 Crash In Santa Rosa

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A man who died in a traffic collision Thursday on U.S. Highway 101 in Santa Rosa has been identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff-Coroner's Office as 58-year-old Carlos Del Pozo of Sebastopol.

California Highway Patrol said the fatal crash happened at 9:35 a.m. Thursday on U.S. 101 South, just north of the College Avenue offramp.

The driver of a Chrysler 300 sedan told CHP officers he spun out and hit another car.

The CHP's preliminary investigation indicated Del Pozo was driving a Nissan Versa in the number three southbound lane, just north of College, while the Chrysler 300 sedan was traveling to the left of the Nissan in the number two lane.

"For reasons still under investigation, one of the vehicles left their lane and the right side of the Chrysler collided with the left side of the Nissan," CHP Officer David deRutte said.

The collision caused the Nissan to spin out of control to the right. The Nissan then hit a guardrail on the right shoulder before it continued down an embankment at the College Avenue offramp, deRutte said.

Del Pozo was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel.

The driver of the Chrysler, a 31-year-old Santa Rosa man, was not injured; he pulled over to the right shoulder and waited for help from the CHP, deRutte said.

"If anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it and have not yet spoken to CHP, please call the Santa Rosa CHP Office at 707-588-1400," deRutte said.