Petaluma man in critical condition after Penngrove crash

A Petaluma man was in critical condition Thursday night and the CHP is investigating whether he was driving under the influence after he crashed his car into a vehicle waiting at a stop sign near Penngrove.

The crash was reported at about 4:30 p.m. at Old Adobe Road near Davis Lane, just east of the town’s core, CHP spokesman Officer David deRutte said.

The man, who the CHP did not name, was going west on the road in a Chevy Cruze when he crashed into a car that was waiting for a stop sign, creating a domino effect that pushed the unidentified vehicle into the car in front of it, and that vehicle into another further ahead, deRutte said.

The driver of the vehicle that was rear-ended by the Cruze suffered minor injuries, while the driver in the Cruze was taken to the Santa Rosa Memorial hospital for his injuries, deRutte said.

The people in the other two cars were not injured, he added.

The driver of the Cruze showed signs of being intoxicated, deRutte said, though he declined to provide additional details citing an ongoing investigation.

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