Santa Rosa woman struck and killed by minivan

The driver of a minivan who drove away Wednesday night after allegedly striking and killing a 56-year-old woman in a Santa Rosa crosswalk reported the incident to 911 and returned to the site 20 minutes later, Santa Rosa police said.

Police said Barbara Jones of Santa Rosa was walking west through a crosswalk around 5:30 p.m. on South Wright Road when she was struck by Brett St. John’s northbound minivan. St. John then fled the scene, continuing north on South Wright Road toward Highway 12.

Initial reports Wednesday night indicated the victim was a bicyclist.

Jones was found unresponsive in the southbound lane of South Wright Road, just north of Finley Avenue, with significant injuries, police said. She was declared dead at the scene.

When St. John returned to speak with police, he said he did not see Jones in the street and couldn’t avoid hitting her, police said.

St. John was released pending further investigation, police said. Investigators have not determined if speed, drugs or alcohol was a factor.

Jones’ niece, Joy Jones of Sonoma, said she last saw her aunt at about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Santa Rosa transit mall, where Barbara Jones boarded a bus to take her home.

About 45 minutes later she was less than 100 yards from her house on Price Avenue when she was hit by the minivan, Joy Jones said.

“She was a very sweet, sweet woman,” Jones said. “She was like my second mother.”