Elderly man struck, badly injured in Petaluma crosswalk

An 85-year-old Petaluma man suffered major injuries Thursday when he was hit by a suspected drunken driver while walking across the street, police said.

George Stucky was in the crosswalk when he was struck in the 5:16 p.m. collision on Petaluma Boulevard North at East Washington Street, Sgt. Jim Stephenson said.

Stucky was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. He was transferred to another hospital and was doing well Friday morning, Stephenson said after a conversation with Stucky’s daughter.

Driver William Atkinson, 48, of Petaluma was making a left-hand turn onto eastbound Washington Street from Petaluma Boulevard North when his vehicle hit Stucky, Stephenson said. Before the collision, a vehicle ahead of Atkinson had stopped, apparently waiting for Stucky to cross before making a left turn, and Atkinson drove around that stopped vehicle to make the turn, Stephenson said.

Atkinson agreed to be taken to Petaluma Valley Hospital for a voluntary blood-alcohol test, a routine procedure for injury collisions, Stephenson said. The results of a blood test led officers to arrest him, he said.

He was then booked into the Sonoma County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail on suspicion of felony drunken driving causing injury.

Police asked that anyone who saw the collision call Officer Paul Accornero at 778-4597.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.