Man with fatal gunshot wound crashes into Sonoma sheriff’s patrol car

(KRON) — A driver suffering from a gunshot wound crashed into a Sonoma County deputy’s vehicle Thursday evening, according to authorities. The man succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office deputy was driving his patrol vehicle at the intersection of West Napa Street and Riverside Drive in Sonoma when a white Mazda 3 crashed into his vehicle at low speed. The deputy got out to assist the driver, authorities said, and discovered that the driver was “covered in blood and suffering from a gunshot wound.”

While getting the man out of the Mazda, a handgun was found in his possession, the sheriff’s office said.

Assisting deputies applied a tourniquet to the driver’s leg to control severe bleeding. The driver was then airlifted to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

A preliminary investigation suggested that the shooting was an isolated event and there is no ongoing threat to the community, according to authorities. The SCSO Violent Crimes Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate the incident.