Driver arrested for murder after five-car fatal crash

A 21-year-old Oakley woman was killed in a five-vehicle collision involving an alleged drunk driver on southbound Lakeville Highway Sunday night, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

The 9:10 p.m. collision north of state Highway 37 east of Petaluma happened when Logologoa Taumaloto Tevaseu, 35, of Santa Rosa, the driver of a 2006 Dodge Ram, began passing vehicles to the left over double-yellow lines and struck the Oakley’s woman’s 2015 Toyota Corolla head-on, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.

Three other vehicles then collided into the Toyota or each other resulting in minor to moderate injuries to the occupants, who were taken to local hospitals, Sloat said.

Tevaseu refused chemical testing and was taken to the CHP office in Rohnert Park where officers got a warrant to draw his blood, Sloat said.

Tevaseu has a prior DUI conviction. Based on statements he made in an interview, he was arrested and booked in the Sonoma County Jail without bail for murder and DUI, Sloat said. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Sonoma County Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon.

Marin County CHP officers assisted with traffic control and closed Lakeville Road at state Highway 37 and Old Lakeville Road #3. They were directing traffic with flashlights when an Acura RSX drove on the right shoulder of southbound Lakeville Road that was blocked by patrol cars, Sloat said.

The Acura struck the rear of a parked CHP patrol car before it stopped, Sloat said.

CHP officers began first aid to the Acura driver, identified as Ashley Leah Barnachea, 29, of Santa Rosa. She was taken by ambulance to Petaluma Valley Hospital where she was arrested on suspicion of DUI, Sloat said.

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