Pedestrian killed by van near park identified as Cotati man

The pedestrian struck and killed Monday by a commercial van near Helen Putnam Park was identified Tuesday by the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office.

Augustus Staton, 55, of Cotati, was walking his dog at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Macklin Drive at the southern edge of Helen Putnam Park when he was struck by the van at about 12:30 p.m.

Officers on Tuesday were still piecing together the sequence of events leading up to the crash. A preliminary investigation showed a man driving a van west on Myrtle Avenue struck Staton near the park’s entrance, Cotati Police Chief Michael Parish said.

Staton died at the scene, police said. His dog was unharmed.

The driver stayed at the crash site and cooperated with police. Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash, Parish said in an email.

Cotati investigators will forward their findings to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, which will determine if any charges are filed against the van driver. His name was not immediately available Tuesday.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.