Lakeville Highway fatal crash victim identified

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office has identified the driver who was killed in a five-vehicle collision on southbound Lakeville Highway Sunday night as Paulette Geronimo Quiba, 21, of Oakley.

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 Quiba’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 and based on statements he made in an interview, he was arrested and booked in Sonoma County Jail without bail for murder and DUI, Sloat said. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Sonoma County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.

The Marin County CHP assisted with traffic control and closed Lakeville Road at state Highway 37 and Old Lakeville Road #3. Marin CHP officers 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 Marin 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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