Teen girl killed, two others injured after speeding car flies off the road in Santa Rosa

A 17-year-old girl was killed and two others were injured after a car drove off the road in Santa Rosa, plunging into a creek and catching fire around 10 p.m. Friday.

A preliminary investigation by the Santa Rosa Police Department found that the driver, a 21-year-old Santa Rosa resident, was speeding when his car “left the roadway” during a slight curve, becoming airborne before rolling “an unknown number of times and landing upright in the creek bed,” according to a Facebook post by the police. The 17-year-old female, who was seated in the right rear seat of the car, was declared dead at the scene as a result of her injuries.

Two male passengers, aged 17 and 19, were rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The older passenger was then airlifted to a burn center for additional care.

Alcohol and drugs are suspected to be a factor in the collision, authorities said, as the driver was found to have blood alcohol content of .11%, a level .03% higher than the legal limit. The driver has been arrested and booked into jail for two felonies, including driving under the influence and causing injury to others, and doing so with a blood alcohol content of .08% or higher. He has also been arrested for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to authorities.

The names of all the car’s passengers have not yet been released by the Santa Rosa Police Department, due to both pending family notifications and the individuals’ ages.

Anyone with additional information on this incident is encouraged to contact John Fisher, accident investigator, at 707-543-8550 or at jfisher@srcity.org.