Father, son who died in rural Sonoma County crash identified

The father and son who died Monday night in a crash in rural Sonoma County, which hospitalized three others, were identified as Matthew Sousa, 32, of Santa Rosa, and his 7-year-old son, Jason Sousa, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

Matthew Sousa was driving his three sons in a Jeep on an old, narrow dirt road on private property when the vehicle slid down an embankment just as it was getting dark, said Monte Rio Protection District Chief Steve Baxman.

A 49-year-old man, who was the driver of a second Jeep, attempted to help Sousa and his sons but also slid down the embankment, suffering life-threatening injuries, said Officer David deRutte, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson.

The man who was hospitalized was listed in critical condition Wednesday night, said Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital spokesperson Christian Hill. He was unable to provide the status of the two boys because of their age.

CHP and the Monte Rio Fire Protection District were dispatched at about 5:45 p.m. after receiving a report of at least one crash by Mohrhardt Ridge Road near Cazadero, according to deRutte.

While first responders were on the way, the second Jeep slid down and a third motorist on a four-wheeler called 911. A fire truck also got stuck on the way in, so first responders had to hike in and call for all-terrain vehicles.

Authorities estimated the depth of the embankment as 300 feet, but Baxman said it's likely half that.

The reasons for the crashes are still being investigated, deRutte said.

The rescue effort involved using a rope pulley system to haul the victims for about a mile and a half uphill in the remote area to reach ambulances and a CHP helicopter, Baxman said. He said the operation involved teamwork among six agencies, including North Coast Fire, Cal Fire, Timber Cove, Fort Ross/North Bay, Cazadero, and Graton agencies.

Supervisor Lynda Hopkins happened to be at the hospital with her son when “Code White'' was called by hospital staff, indicating a life-threatening emergency for a child.

Afterward, Hopkins said she spoke with first responders, school officials and colleagues of the man who died, as well as the man who was injured.

“This is horrible,” Hopkins said. “I can't imagine the pain and grief of the families. It's also really heartwarming to see people want to do something to help.”

She also said she hopes to make an effort to provide more utility and all-terrain vehicles to support fire agencies responding to emergencieslike this.

“It was truly the worst-possible-case scenario,” Hopkins said. “You know, unimaginably difficult to access … anytime something this horrific happens, you want to do whatever you can to make sure it never happens again.”

A GoFundMe page was created by Matthew Sousa’s sister, Kristy, to raise money for the family.

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8511 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.