New details have emerged in a fatal collision involving a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy that claimed the life of a 78-year-old Santa Rosa man.
According to the Press Democrat, Robert Cydear, a military veteran and beloved neighbor, died from blunt force injuries 18 days after his car was struck by a patrol SUV on Santa Rosa Avenue last October.
The deputy, identified as Samuel Camarena Cruz, was reportedly attempting to catch up to suspected street racers without his emergency lights or sirens on at the time of impact. This is the second major on-duty crash for Camarena Cruz; a previous 2020 collision resulted in the disability retirement of a fellow deputy.
The CHP’s multidisciplinary team is currently leading the investigation.