Novato Woman Badly Injured in Head-On Crash Near Cotati

A Sebastopol man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after a head-on crash that left a Novato woman with major injuries Tuesday morning, a CHP officer said.

Ben Rhoades, 19, was driving a Ford F-250 truck south on Stony Point Road just south of Sierra Avenue when the crash happened at about 8:30 a.m., CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.

The truck crossed over the double-yellow line and struck a northbound Ford Edge head-on, Sloat said. The Edge overturned and landed on its roof, he said.

Rhoades and the other driver, Vicki Siefer, 46, of Novato, suffered major injuries that included broken bones and internal injuries, Sloat said.

Both drivers were extricated from their vehicles by the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District. Rhoades was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Siefer was airlifted to Stanford Hospital, Sloat said.

Rhoades was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of DUI, Sloat said.

The collision closed Stony Point Road for about an hour and a half, he said.

— Bay City News Service