Authorities identify man killed in Highway 101 crash Monday as 24-year-old Santa Rosan

The man who was struck and killed along Highway 101 in Santa Rosa this week was identified by the Sonoma County coroner on Thursday as 24-year-old Ascari Farias Tapia.

Tapia, a resident of Santa Rosa, survived an initial crash Monday before being struck by another vehicle after he got out of the SUV in which he was a passenger, CHP said.

The driver of the Infiniti SUV, Juan Padilla-Lopez, 33, was suspected by authorities to be driving under the influence at the time of the crash. After hitting the back of a motorcycle near Bicentennial Way just before 11 p.m., Padilla-Lopez and Tapia stepped out of the SUV and onto the highway. Then Tapia was struck by another SUV driven by Ukiah resident Mercedes Allende, 18, as she tried to swerve to avoid them, CHP said.

Padilla-Lopez ran from the scene and later was arrested by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of a DUI and a hit-and-run. Authorities continue investigating the fatal crash.

You can reach Staff Writer Alexandria Bordas at 707-521-5337 or alexandria.bordas@pressdemocrat.com.