Cotati man identified in fatal Sebastopol crash

A Cotati man was identified Thursday as the driver who died after crashing his BMW into a tree near downtown Sebastopol earlier this week, the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office said.

Antonio Gerald Malgieri, 78, died at the scene of the 3:40 p.m. Tuesday crash on Corline Court, a dead-end street located about a mile south of downtown Sebastopol, authorities said. The car was badly damaged from the impact of hitting the tree head on, which pushed the front end of the BMW 325i into the passenger compartment, fire officials said.

Sebastopol and Gold Ridge firefighters used extrication tools to cut the roof and a door off the vehicle to reach the man.

The damage indicated Malgieri may have been speeding before striking the tree, authorities said, though they did not know why the man would be speeding. No skid marks were found nearby.

A toxicology test will reveal whether Malgieri was impaired at the time of the crash, though investigators found no indication alcohol was a factor in the fatal collision, police said on Tuesday.

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