Sonoma resident killed in accident near Petaluma

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s and Coroner’s Office has determined the identity of a BMW driver who was killed in a crash on Old Adobe Road.

June 28, 2024, 10:54 p.m. PDT

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A motorist killed in a traffic crash in the unincorporated community of Petaluma early Thursday was identified Friday by the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office as Alejandro Moya Benitez, a 27-year-old man who lived in Sonoma.

The sheriff’s office said Benitez’s surviving family members, including his children, have been notified of his death, which occurred on Old Adobe Road at Casa Grande Road.

Subscribe to

Benitez was driving a BMW 328i south on Old Adobe around 12:38 a.m. Thursday and crossed the double yellow line to pass a Cadillac CTS traveling in front of him in the same lane, the California Highway Patrol said.

As Benitez was moving into the southbound lane, the right rear of his car collided with the left front of the Cadillac. The impact caused Benitez to lose control of the car. The BMW left the roadway and collided with a tree, the CHP said.

Benitez was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. A passenger in the car suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital.

The driver of the Cadillac was not injured.

The CHP asked anyone with information about the accident to call the CHP office in Santa Rosa at 707-806-5600.