A family of four was killed in a crash Saturday evening at Lakeville Highway and Highway 37, and several others were injured, authorities reported on Sunday. The driver of a Mini Cooper suspected of travelling between 70-90 mph collided with a Nissan Quest, killing its occupants. The four victims killed in the crash were identified Sunday as Jason Maloney, Susan Maloney, and children Grace and Aiden Maloney. All four died at the scene of the crash. The family was headed home from celebrating Thanksgiving in Maui, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat said. Firefighters from Lakeville, Wilmar, Novato and Petaluma all responded to the accident.
The multi-vehicle intersection crash involved a Mini Cooper, a 2004 Honda CR-V, a Nissan Quest, and a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant. The accident occurred at about 9:20 p.m., at Highway 37 and Lakeville Highway, near the border of Sonoma County and Marin County.
The Mini Cooper, driven by Steven Culbertson, 19, of Lakeport, was travelling south on Lakeville Highway and clipped the Honda CRV, which was also travelling south on Lakeville Highway. The driver and passenger of the Honda, from Petaluma and Stockton, were not seriously injured, the CHP reported.
After the sideswipe collision with the Honda, the Mini Cooper continued south on Lakeville Highway towards the intersection with Highway 37. The Mini Cooper there reportedly ran a red light and struck the Nissan Quest, driven by Jason Maloney, which was travelling east on California State Route 37 (Sears Point Road).
The collision pushed the Nissan Quest into a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant. The driver of the Mitsubishi, a 52-year-old Novato woman and two passengers, a 47-year-old Fairfield woman and a 53-year-old Novato woman were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Mini Cooper, Steven Culbertson, suffered critical, possibly life-threatening injuries, and was transported to a hospital by REACH Medical helicopter.
The cause of this tragic multi-vehicle collision is under investigation. The CHP reported there was no initial evidence of drugs or alcohol, but an investigation is ongoing and toxicology tests are pending. Although the cause of the crash has not officially been determined, it seems based on newspaper reports that the driver of the Mini Cooper could potentially be held liable for injuries to the occupants in the Galant and the wrongful death of the Maloney family in the Nissan. Those involved in this accident and their family members would be wise to speak with a California personal injury attorney for a free consultation of their rights to compensation.
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