CHP officer still critical after Petaluma crash

A CHP motorcycle officer who was injured when he slammed into a passenger car earlier this week remained in critical condition Friday as Petaluma Police clarified a key detail of the accident.

The civilian driver, Novato resident Theresa Fermanich, was making a U—turn on Lakeville Highway when she turned into the path of the oncoming officer, Petaluma Police Sgt. Ken Savano said.

It was earlier believed that Fermanich, 73, was turning left onto Matteri Lane, a private dirt driveway, when she failed to see the passing motorcycle.

Instead, she turned into its path in an attempted U-turn, causing Officer Todd Overzet to be ejected, authorities said.

Overzet, a veteran CHP officer who works out of the agency's Marin County office, suffered a torn aorta and other major injuries in Wednesday's 12:07 p.m. crash and was eventually airlifted to Stanford Medical Center, authorities said.

Police said Overzet was eastbound on Lakeville Highway en route to an earlier collision at Highways 37 and 121 on Tuesday when he crossed the broken center line into the oncoming lane to pass several other eastbound motorists.

He was passing a full-size, Ford F-150 pickup when Fermanich, who was driving a Toyota Corolla in front of the truck, began her U-turn directly in his path, police said.

Savano said a U-turn is a legal maneuver at that location unless there is “traffic approaching that is close enough to constitute a hazard.”

“We're not saying that was happening here,” Savano said, though Overzet was “clearly pretty close.”

Detectives are still investigating whether she used a turn signal and at what point it was activated, he said.

Savano earlier cautioned against drawing conclusions in the case or assigning blame prematurely.

“We really don't want to comment on her statements or any details until we've completed the investigation,” he said.