The Santa Rosa Police Department released the following statement regarding the fatal vehicle versus pedestrian accident via Nixle:
“On Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at about 7:06am, Santa Rosa Police Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Hearn Avenue and Stony Point Road regarding a vehicle versus pedestrian collision. Officers and Medical personnel responded to the scene and located a pedestrian victim south of the intersection on the east side of Stony Point Rd. The male victim was immediately pronounced deceased at the scene. The involved driver had pulled over to the side of the road and was waiting for officers to arrive.
Santa Rosa Police Traffic Investigators responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Investigators learned that the involved driver, identified as Esteban Garcia Martinez an 18-year-old resident of Santa Rosa, had been driving northbound on Stony Point Road, approaching the intersection with Barndance Lane. It was dark and raining heavily. Martinez was traveling approximately 40 mph. Based on Martinez’s and witnesses’ statements, the pedestrian was crossing Stony Point Road from west to east. He was not in a designated crosswalk. Martinez’s vehicle struck the pedestrian as he approached the east side of the road way. The pedestrian victim was thrown into the air and landed near a driveway on the east side of Stony Point Road. Martinez immediately stopped his vehicle, a silver Chevy Cruz, just north of where he collided with the victim.
Martinez was interviewed at the police department and is cooperating fully with investigators. The victim’s name will not be released at this time, pending notification of next of kin. Autopsy results will indicate if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision. Martinez was not impaired at the time of the collision.
Northbound Stony Point Road, just south of Hearn Avenues was closed for several hours and a Nixle Advisory was sent out.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact Officer Kenneth Ferrigno of the Santa Rosa Police Department at (707) 543-3636. For further media inquiries, please contact Sergeant Summer Gloeckner (707)543-4108.”