2025 July 19 - A.R.

• 2025 July 19 - A.R. (PDF, 284 KB) »

On July 19, 2025, A.R.¹ died in Sonoma County as a result of a solo vehicle traffic collision which occurred while he was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by an intoxicated driver, traveling at a high rate of speed to evade law enforcement. Minutes earlier, in the city of Petaluma, the vehicle had been reported to law enforcement as a possible driver under the influence. Petaluma Police caught up to the vehicle at the intersection of Frates and Lakeville Highway, stopped at the intersection travelling southbound on Lakeville. As the Petaluma Police officer attempted a traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle sped away on Lakeville Highway. The vehicle reached speeds that exceeded 90 mph, swerved into the opposing lane of traffic multiple times, and its driver eventually lost control near Old Lakeville Highway 1, where the vehicle overturned and rolled multiple times, ejecting all four of its occupants. A.R. was declared deceased at the scene. The other three occupants, all minors, including the driver, sustained various levels of injury and were transported to local area hospitals.

The role of the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office in a law enforcement employee involved critical incident is to review the investigation to determine if there exists any criminal liability on the part of the law enforcement employee. Further, the District Attorney’s Office may provide assistance to the investigating agency regarding legal issues, supplement the investigation when necessary and, when appropriate, prosecute those persons believed to have violated the law.

Once the investigation is complete, the District Attorney is required to complete a thorough review of the investigation and prepare a report summarizing the investigation and documenting her conclusions. The following report includes a summary of facts surrounding the death of A.R., a review of the relevant law, an analysis of the facts and law, and the District Attorney’s conclusion. The District Attorney will provide a copy of this report to the foreperson of the Sonoma County Grand Jury.

¹ A.R. was a minor at the time of his death. Under most circumstances the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office does not release the names of minors who are associated with investigations. A.R., as well as other minors who were involved in the incident described in this report, are identified by their initials only.