A mother died when a car that her son was driving overturned on Petaluma Hill Road on Friday night, leaving three of her children with major injuries, officers said.
California Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Mensior said Shelli Shimmel, 43, of Santa Rosa died at the scene.
Three of Shimmel's children, Jane Hollingworth, 16; Shayne Hollingworth, 13; and Hallie Shimmel, 6 were transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries.
The driver Sebastian Hollingworth, 18, was uninjured, Mensior said.
The accident occurred around 8:35 pm when their Chevy Blazer sports utility vehicle traveling south veered into oncoming traffic, swerved and rolled over in a ditch, Mensior said.
The cause was still being investigated.
The vehicle overturned near the Gables Wine Country Inn on 4275 Petaluma Hill Road.
"The city needs to reduce the speed limit out here," said Mike Stanbrough, co-owner of the inn. "If you saw how many accidents happened on this road you'd be amazed."
Mensior said the speed limit in the area is unposted, but it is 55 mph.
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