Police: Santa Rosa woman, 80, strikes pedestrian, then car on Highway 12

An 80-year-old Santa Rosa woman driving an SUV struck and gravely injured a pedestrian Thursday afternoon before causing a second accident, police said.

Sherry Ann Gray was driving an Infiniti FX35 eastbound on Highway 12 shortly before 6 p.m. when she ran a red light and struck Austin Polen, 25, Santa Rosa police said.

Polen of Santa Rosa was crossing south at the crosswalk at Highway 12 and Middle Rincon Road when he was hit. Several witnesses called police as Gray continued driving east for another mile and a half before rear-ending a Toyota Rav 4 driven by Sonja Bauer, 64, of Santa Rosa, police said.

Bauer called authorities when she was rear-ended, and when officers responded they determined Gray had struck Polen before hitting Bauer's car, police said.

Bauer was not injured, but Polen suffered major head trauma and multiple broken bones, police said. He's in critical condition.

Investigators don't believe Gray was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but police in a news release said it “did not appear (she) was aware that she struck the pedestrian.”

The intersection of Highway 12 and Middle Rincon Road was closed for several hours Thursday as police investigated the crash.

You can reach Staff Writers Andrew Beale at 707-521-5205 or andrew.beale@pressdemocrat.com.