Fatal Collision Investigation

On Monday, March 17, 2025, at approximately 10:06 p.m., two officers with the Santa Rosa Police Department were conducting a DUI investigation on 7th Street just west of E Street, when they observed a grey Nissan Maxima driving north on E Street at a high rate of speed. One of the officers returned to his marked patrol vehicle and attempted to catch up to the vehicle as it drove east on College Avenue.  

The officer continued to try to catch up to the vehicle as it continued to speed on city streets until turning east on Montgomery Drive. The officer did not have continuous visual contact of the Nissan and at no point was in a position to conduct a traffic stop. The officer was actively searching for the Nissan after observing the driver's reckless behavior but had lost sight of it for a short period of time. As the officer was searching in the area of Montgomery Drive, he observed the vehicle traveling east on Montgomery Drive in the distance. The driver of the Nissan Maxima drove into the intersection of Montgomery Drive and Farmers Lane and collided with a silver Toyota Camry as it was driving through the same intersection, north on Farmers Lane.  

The impact of the collision pushed both vehicles onto the property of St. Eugene’s Cathedral at 2323 Montgomery Drive.  

The adult male driver and sole occupant of the Toyota was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel. Santa Rosa resident Aaron Rodriguez Hernandez, the 21-year-old male driver and sole occupant of the Nissan, was transported to an area hospital and treated for moderate injuries sustained during the collision. Following his release from the hospital, Rodriguez Hernandez was booked into Sonoma County Jail by CHP for the following charges: 

191.5 PC – Vehicular manslaughter 

23153(f) VC – DUI drugs with injury 

12500(a) VC – Driving without a license 

1203.2(a) PC – Violation of probation 

Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, the Santa Rosa Police Department invoked the Sonoma County Critical Incident Protocol and requested the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office to lead an independent investigation into the events that led up to the collision.  

This investigation is ongoing and being actively conducted by the California Highway Patrol.  The California Highway Patrol will release additional information regarding the investigation as it becomes available to include the cause of the collision.  The name of the victim will be released by the Sonoma County Coroner when the information becomes available. For media inquiries related to the incident, please contact Officer David deRutte, CHP Public Information Officer at 707-806-5600. 

Prepared by Sgt. Patricia Seffens, Public Information Officer, pseffens@srcity.org.