Sonoma County Deputy Collides With Elderly Driver During Street Racing Pursuit

A Sonoma County Sheriff's deputy was pursuing two suspected street racers on Santa Rosa Avenue with emergency lights on when a white Ford Focus pulled out of a Friedman’s Home Improvement parking lot directly in front of the patrol vehicle. Despite the deputy's attempt to swerve left and avoid the collision, the patrol car struck the front left side of the Ford Focus. The driver of the Ford, a man in his late 70s or early 80s, was hospitalized with major injuries, while the deputy and the K-9 police dog in the patrol car sustained minor injuries. The crash caused Santa Rosa Avenue to be closed for several hours during investigation. Authorities have asked anyone with information on the incident to contact the CHP's Santa Rosa office. The investigation is ongoing, with no further details released by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.