Driver crashes, shoots himself in the head near Valley Ford

A driver who crashed his car near Valley Ford Monday afternoon then shot and killed himself, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

The man crashed at 12:40 p.m. while driving on Valley Ford Estero Road, near the Marin-Sonoma county line. Prior to the crash he’d been at nearby Dillon Beach and deputies were told he was possibly intoxicated, sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Crum said Tuesday.

While on the coast road he took a curve too fast, lost control and crashed into a field. A property owner saw the crash and headed over to check and then saw the man shoot himself in the head, Crum said. The driver was found on the ground near the trunk of his car, dead from a gunshot wound to his forehead.

Sheriff’s deputies, as well as firefighters and the CHP responded to the crash. The Sonoma County Coroner’s Office is investigating. The man’s name hasn’t been released pending notification of his family.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.