San Francisco Firefighter Dies in Morning Head-On Crash at Occidental and Piezzi Roads
SANTA ROSA, CA (December 12, 2018) – A San Francisco firefighter was killed following a head-on crash Wednesday morning in Santa Rosa, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The fatal crash happened around 5:30 a.m. near the intersection of Occidental and Piezzi roads.
CHP officials said a 34-year-old Steven William Pacatte of Monte Rio was driving a Chevrolet Silverado behind a Recology garbage truck along a foggy Occidental Road. While traveling eastbound toward Piezzi Road, Pacatte attempted to pass the truck on the narrow, two-lane rural road and drove his pickup into the path of an oncoming Chevrolet Suburban. The garbage truck hit Pacatte’s truck after the first collision.
Pacatte and the woman driving the Suburban were rushed to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. Pacatte died on the way.
The unidentified woman was hospitalized in critical condition. The garbage truck driver was not injured.
The crash closed Occidental Road for hours. The roadway, a rural route between west Santa Rosa and the west county, is a busy morning and evening commute pathway.
Pacatte had worked for the Fire Department for nearly three years at stations 3, 14 and 48. Records online show he had previously worked for the Tiburon Fire Protection District and as a seasonal firefighter for Marin County. He had also recently provided mutual aid at last month’s Camp Fire in Butte County.
Pacatte’s fiancee, Colleen Bialas, is pregnant with the couple’s first child, and the two were planning to marry in June 2019.
A GoFundMe has been established for Pacatte’s fiancee and unborn child.
During this moment of grief, we would like to extend our sincere sympathies and thoughts of courage and comfort to the family and friends of Steven Pacatte.
If you have suffered the loss of a loved one in a traffic collision, please contact The Sweet Law Group at your earliest convenience. We are a law firm with the primary goal of helping families and victims of personal injury or wrongful death find justice, compensation, and hope for a brighter tomorrow. We understand the pain that comes with losing a loved one and we will not rest until we bring to justice those who are at fault. We will make things as easy as possible and will guide you through every step of the legal system. For a free consultation, please contact us at (800) 203-3061.