3 taken to hospital after Santa Rosa reckless driver crashes, car catches fire: police
(KRON) — Three people were taken to the hospital after a “reckless driver” collided head-on with another vehicle Saturday evening, the Santa Rosa Police Department announced on Monday.
Around 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, the driver of a white Mercedes-Benz called police saying she was “being aggressively followed by a white Infiniti sedan that was trying to run her off the road.” According to SRPD, both cars were traveling south on Stoney Point Road where the Infinity lost control, crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a Honda CR-V driving in the northbound lanes.
The crash happened on the Highway 12 overpass south of the intersection of Stoney Point Road and Occidental Road where the Infiniti was then engulfed in flames (pictured below), police said. Two 16-year-old female passengers of the Infiniti were injured. One of them was unconscious and suffered a moderate head injury. The other sustained minor injuries.
Both teens were taken to the hospital and have since been released. The driver of the Honda, a 70-year-old Larkfield resident, was taken to the hospital for life-threatening injuries but, as of Monday, is now in stable condition.
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The driver of the Infiniti is identified as Carlos Delara, 18, of Santa Rosa, according to SRPD. The two female teens — one from Rohnert Park and the other from Santa Rosa — are believed to be relatives of Delara.
Delara was booked into Sonoma County Jail on two counts of felony reckless driving causing injury, one count of misdemeanor reckless driving and two counts of felony child endangerment. The northbound lanes of Stony Point Road were closed to traffic for approximately 7.5 hours as authorities conducted an investigation.
It is unknown at this time if there was any relationship between the occupants of the Mercedes and Infiniti, SRPD said. Any witnesses with information about the crash are asked to contact 707-543-3600 ext. 8550 or email jfisher@srcity.org and reference case number 24-3437.
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