Woman, 58, on sidewalk, killed in Petaluma crash

A 58-year-old Petaluma woman was killed Thursday afternoon while standing on the sidewalk beside her car following an earlier collision on Sonoma Mountain Parkway.

Petaluma police reported the woman and her 76-year-old husband had been involved in an earlier minor accident in the southbound lanes between Rainier Circle and Castle Drive about 3:50 p.m. when their Mazda MX-5 Miata was struck by a Ford Explorer driven by a 17-year-old Petaluma male.

A witness to the collision, a 39-year-old male in a Nissan Maxima, stopped behind the two vehicles, to help. All four people were out of their vehicles when at 3:59 p.m. a Toyota Camry driven by Thomas Christie, 86, of Petaluma struck the rear of the Maxima, which crashed into the Miata. The Maxima driver, who was not identified, was struck and thrown into the air, hitting his head on his car’s windshield.

He was treated and released at a Santa Rosa hospital.

The woman was struck and thrown about 10 feet, police said, landing on the sidewalk and suffering a significant head injury. She was taken to Petaluma Valley Hospital where she died soon after, police said.

She was not identified pending notification of family members.

Police said alcohol was not a factor and it did not appear Christie was traveling at a high speed.

Sonoma Mountain Parkway between Rainier Circle and Castle Drive remained closed for several hours.

The crash remains under investigation.

- Julie Johnson