San Jose victim identified in Highway 12 crash into tree

Matthew Taylor, 45, died after his car slammed into a tree off Highway 12 Thursday evening.|
NICK RAHAIM
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A former San Jose man was identified Friday as the person who died a night earlier in a single-car crash in west Santa Rosa.

Matthew Taylor, 45, who had just moved to Santa Rosa, was killed after his car hit a tree off Highway 12 west of Stony Point Road.

Taylor was eastbound in his Honda Accord at about 5:45 p.m. when he veered off the road. Investigators believe he fell asleep or suffered a medical emergency.

Santa Rosa firefighters used hydraulic tools to cut off the roof of the car before they were able to remove Taylor from his vehicle.

He was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

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