Petaluma teen dies in Vasco Road crash

A 17-year-old Petaluma girl died shortly after a head-on collision Monday afternoon in unincorporated Contra Costa County outside of Brentwood, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The collision was reported at 2:22 p.m. on Vasco Road just south of Walnut Boulevard. According to an initial investigation, a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by a 20-year-old San Francisco man was traveling north on Vasco Road when he decided to pass the traffic in his lane.

CHP officials said the man crossed over the broken yellow line into the southbound lane.

At that moment, a man in a tow truck was traveling in the southbound lane of Vasco Road and the two vehicles collided head-on.

CHP officials said the collision catapulted the Jeep off the road and into a grass field where it became engulfed in flames.

The tow truck was disabled and blocked the entire road.

CHP officials said because of the location and severity of some injuries, officers called in a helicopter, which took the 17-year-old girl to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where she died at 3:37 p.m.

A 21-year-old rear passenger in the Jeep was flown to Eden Hospital with major injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The driver and only occupant of the tow truck had only minor complaints of pain.

The Contra Costa County coroner’s office will release the name of the girl.

CHP officials said drugs and alcohol do not appear to have played a part in the collision, but it’s still under investigation.

Anyone who witnessed it or the events leading up to it is asked to call the CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980.

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