Petaluma Man Dies in Solo Crash

A Petaluma man who was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his daughter died when the car went off the roadway and overturned into a creek south of Petaluma city limits this morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Ralph Giacomini, 84, was pronounced dead at the scene. His 57-year-old daughter told investigators she fell asleep at about 11:50 a.m. while driving east on D Street near Windsor Avenue.

The woman said she woke up when the car went onto the road's shoulder, then she swerved and ran off the road and down an embankment, according to CHP. The car overturned in a creek, trapping both inside. The father, who was sitting in the front seat, apparently drowned as water entered the vehicle, CHP said.

The woman suffered minor injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. 

-Bay City News contributed to this report