Highway 121 wreck kills Santa Rosa man, five horses

<p>A Santa Rosa motorist was killed after he plowed into five horses that wandered onto a highway early Wednesday morning, likely spooked from their pens by dogs or a predator.</p><p>The crash killed Mark Steven Trupiano, 46, of Santa Rosa, who was commuting to his job at a Napa trucking company, according to Napa County sheriff's officials.</p><p>Two of the horses died immediately and three were so badly maimed they were shot by arriving CHP officers, CHP Officer Jaret Paulson said.</p><p>"It was the most humane thing to do. They were truly suffering," Paulson said.</p><p>"It appears they were potentially spooked by some kind of predator, more like a canine. There are all kinds of feral dogs and coyotes in that area," said Sheriff's Sgt. Jon Crawford.</p><p>Broken fence line at a ranch near rural Highway 121 led to the owners of the horses on McKinnon Road, about a half-mile from the crash scene, according to sheriff's officers. The horses apparently left an enclosure on the Miller property, but sheriff's department officials refused to name the owners, citing "privacy concerns."</p><p>A neighbor of Trupiano's, who lived in a modest home on Davis Street abutting Highway 101, described him as "a really good guy," who loved to fish and spent a lot of time with his children -- a son who attends Santa Rosa High School and a daughter at Sonoma State University.</p><p>The neighbor, Bob McConlogue, said Trupiano loved his job working for Biagi Brothers, driving trucks and hauling everything from wine to wastewater from the wineries.</p><p>"He was one of these independent guys. He liked to be out on his own," McConlogue said. "He just liked the movement. He was not one of these stay-in-the-office-type people."</p><p>Trupiano's wife, Carole, who works in parking enforcement for the City of Santa Rosa, declined to comment when contacted by a reporter Wednesday night. "I'm really not up to talking about this now," she said.</p><p>Trupiano was driving toward Napa on rural Highway 121 at about 5:15 a.m. Wednesday when he came upon the horses in the road, Paulson said.</p><p>Trupiano's Mitsubishi Gallant struck all five animals. He died at the scene. The demolished car ended up across both lanes of the highway and the horses were scattered over the roadway.</p><p>Cranes were used to pick up the animal remains and load them into flatbed trucks.</p><p>The horses were a thoroughbred, a palomino, a quarter horse, a stud colt and a bay mare, according to Sgt. Crawford.</p><p>Sheriff's officials in Napa discounted negligence or poor control of the animals as a factor in the horses getting loose.</p><p>"It's one of those strange and tragic events that happen once in awhile. It's really unfortunate," Crawford said.</p><p>The crash, in the Carneros region between Old Sonoma Road and Old Sonoma Highway, closed the major connector between Sonoma County and Napa for about two hours. Officers directed traffic to the nearby roads.</p><p>Initial reports indicated the horses may have belonged to two owners.</p><p>"We tracked the horses down to some broken fences," said Capt. John Robertson, public information officer for the Napa County Sheriff's Department. Investigators said the horses broke through an electric fence.</p><p>They'd run at least a half-mile to get to the highway where they were hit. Because Trupiano's car hit all five horses, it's likely they were standing together, Paulson said.</p><p>Word of the crash quickly spread through the area, a mix of vineyards and wineries but still a stronghold of longtime Napa families with ties to agriculture, horses, sheep and cattle.</p><p>Margie Morin is a horse owner, who has spent her life in the Carneros region.</p><p>"I've been fielding calls all day from people who know we have horses," said Morin, who assured them all of hers were accounted for.</p><p>"It's really sad all around. I've lost a son in an accident and I just feel bad for everybody involved," said Morin, who co-owns Moore's Landing restaurant on the Napa River.</p><p>Like any rural area with animals, coyotes and dogs have been a problem over the years, and Morin said it's possible the horses were spooked by one of the two.</p><p>"Horses would have a flight instinct and they would probably stay together for protection if something were chasing them," she said.</p><p>Trupiano died on a fairly straight stretch of highway. It was dark, but there apparently was no fog and the moon was full and bright before dawn.</p><p>Officer Paulson said the crash would take some weeks to investigate, including finding any witnesses.</p><p>"It was horrific," Paulson said of the entire scene. "It was tough for the officers and the emergency personnel."</p>