Father and son dead, 3 others injured in rural Sonoma County crashes

A father and son were killed Monday and three others were hospitalized — including a good Samaritan who tried to help — following a crash in rural Sonoma County that sent two vehicles sliding down a 300-foot embankment.

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

A 32-year-old man was driving a Jeep that carried his three sons along Mohrhardt Ridge near Happy Hills Ranch Road when the vehicle overturned, slid down a steep embankment and crashed into a ravine 300 feet below, deRutte said.

A 49-year-old man, the driver of a second Jeep, was hurt when his vehicle slid down the same embankment while he attempted to help those in the first Jeep.

A third motorist, who’d been following the Jeeps on a four-wheeler, called 911 after driving five to 10 minutes from the scene in order to get cellphone reception, deRutte said.

CHP personnel and Monte Rio firefighters used helicopters and ATVs to reach the occupants of the Jeeps, according to a news release.

“It was extremely foggy, (firefighters) had access by a dirt road, and they had to rappel down to the accident,” CHP air operations spokesperson Shaun Bouyea said. “It was pretty much a worst-case scenario for an incident like this.”

The 32-year-old man and one of his sons were killed, officials said.

The second driver suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken by helicopter to Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in Santa Rosa, officials said. The two other boys suffered minor to moderate injuries and were transported to the hospital.

CHP is investigating the cause of the crashes.

Authorities had not released the names of the two who were killed pending notification of next of kin.

At least 40 first responders assisted in the crash, including personnel from firefighting agencies such as North Coast Fire, Cal Fire, Timber Cove, Fort Ross/North Bay, Cazadero, and Graton.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @madi.smals.