Driver dies, 2 others injured in Highway 128 crash near Healdsburg

A driver died and his two passengers were injured on Monday after crashing into a tree stump along Highway 128 east of Healdsburg, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash happened just before 2 p.m. west of La Frachi Road. The three men in the car were all co-workers leaving a job site at a vineyard, said CHP spokesman Officer David deRutte.

The men were heading east in a Jeep Liberty when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crossed over the center of the road into oncoming traffic “for unknown reasons,” deRutte said in a news release.

The driver’s side of the Jeep hit a tree stump on the north side of the road, he said.

One of the men climbed out of the vehicle after the crash, but the driver and another passenger were stuck inside and freed by first responders, the CHP said.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity is being withheld until relatives are notified, the CHP said.

The two passengers were taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. One had major injuries and the other had minor injuries, according to the CHP.

The cause of the crash is under investigation and authorities have not determined whether the driver was intoxicated, deRutte said.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.