CHP officer in critical condition after Petaluma crash

<p>The CHP motorcycle officer badly injured Wednesday in a collision on Lakeville Highway was in critical condition at Stanford Medical Center, authorities said Thursday.</p><p>Officer Todd Overzet suffered a torn aorta and other injuries Wednesday afternoon when he struck a left-turning vehicle while passing motorists on Lakeville Highway en route to a crash scene, Petaluma Police said.</p><p>But Police Sgt. Ken Savano said it's too early to assign blame in the 12:41 p.m. crash.</p><p>“This investigation is active, ongoing, and we have not come anywhere close to finishing it,” he said. “And we are not going to make conclusive statements until we are certain that we have all the facts and have talked to all the witnesses.”</p><p>Overzet, who works out of the Marin County CHP office, was eastbound on Lakeville Highway when he crossed the double yellow line into an oncoming lane to pass other eastbound motorists, police said.</p><p>One of the eastbound drivers slowed and began to turn left into a driveway as Overzet was coming up alongside her Between Frates Road and Browns Lane, police said.</p><p>As she turned, he struck the rear passenger door of her car and was thrown into the air, landing in the road, police said.</p><p>The 73-year-old woman's name has not been released.</p><p>Authorities said Overzet was in stable but serious condition late Wednesday, though no update was available Thursday morning, Savano said.</p><p>Suggestions the woman was not paying attention are premature, he said.</p><p>“We are looking at all the facts, and all the evidence and all the statements, and we are doing a thorough investigation,” Savano said. “And when that investigation is complete, we will release the details.”</p>