Santa Rosa man struck by 80-year-old driver expected to survive critical injuries

A 25-year-old Santa Rosa man who was struck by a motorist while walking across Highway 12 in east Santa Rosa on Thursday remained in critical condition Friday with severe head and internal injuries, though it appeared he would survive, police said.

Austin Polen was southbound in a crosswalk at Middle Rincon Road and had nearly made it across the highway when he was hit Thursday by an eastbound vehicle that ran a red light and continued down the road more than three-quarters of a mile before rear-ending another car in stopped traffic, police said.

The driver, Sherry Ann Gray, 80, was not aware she had struck a pedestrian and told investigators she has poor vision that typically keeps her off the roads at night, Police Sgt. Summer Gloeckner said Friday.

But Gray said she had a late hair appointment, and it was dark when she came out of the salon, Gloeckner said. She was just trying to get home when she hit Polen and later ran into the back of a Toyota RAV4 driven by Sonja Bauer, 64, police said.

“She didn’t plan for driving home in the dark,” Gloeckner said.

Bauer, who had been stopped for a red light at Highway 12 and Calistoga Road, was not hurt in the crash, but alerted law enforcement, who quickly discovered that the same silver Infiniti that hit her car had seriously injured Polen in a crash to which officers already had responded.

Polen suffered major head trauma, a skull fracture and other broken bones and internal injuries, and remained in the intensive care unit at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital on Friday, police said.

Police have suspended Gray’s license but said there was no evidence of intoxication or intentional flight from the scene.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Santa Rosa Police Officer Jeff Adams at 707-543-3636.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.