North Bay man in 2025 crash with sheriff’s deputy died two weeks later of his injuries

On a Sunday evening in October, Robert Cydear, 78, pulled out of the parking lot at Santa Rosa’s Friedman’s Home Improvement to turn left on Santa Rosa Avenue when his vehicle collided with a patrol SUV driven by a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy.

The deputy was southbound at the time, trying to to catch up with two suspected street racers when his 2023 Dodge Durango struck Cydear’s white 2012 Ford Fusion, crushing its front end.

Both drivers were taken to the hospital, Cydear with major injuries, The Press Democrat reported at the time. The Oct. 5 crash closed a stretch of Santa Rosa Avenue for hours.

Eighteen days later, Cydear died of his injuries, The Press Democrat has now learned.

A coroner’s report noted that preexisting health issues — cardiovascular disease among them — and additional conditions he developed while in the hospital contributed to his passing. The cause of death, however, was listed as “complications of blunt force injuries to the torso” from the car crash.

The autopsy describes serious injuries on the day he was admitted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital: multiple rib and pelvis fractures, chest and lung bruising, air and bleeding in his chest cavity and a left clavicle break. First responders noted Cydear, who was wearing his seat belt, was responsive after the crash, complaining of neck, chest and arm pain.

An investigation into the crash by the California Highway Patrol is ongoing. It is currently with the agency’s Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team, which is brought in for in-depth analyses of major collisions. “With a fatality and a sheriff deputy involved, the investigation will take longer to complete,” said CHP Officer David deRutte, spokesman for the Santa Rosa office.

Cydear had few living relatives, according to the coroner’s report. His wife died in 2017, and investigators had difficulty locating other family members, eventually reaching a first cousin once removed who said Cydear was the last living member of the family from his generation.

“Bob was a great neighbor,” said Jennifer Martinez, who lived next door to Cydear at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in south Santa Rosa. “He was always available if we needed help. I borrowed extension cords and tools from him many times.”

Cydear, who was a military veteran, was living alone with his dog, Sally, a rescue he and his wife adopted years earlier after finding her abandoned, Martinez said. “Bob loved his dog and took such great care of her — always buying the best treats.”

“He was just always super friendly and kind,” she said, welling up. “It’s very tragic.”

The coroner’s report, completed shortly after Cydear’s death and obtained through a public records request, noted that any determination on fault and other factors in the crash, like speed of travel, would come in the CHP investigation. The death was deemed accidental with “no signs of alcohol, illicit substance use or cell phone use suspected to be factors.”

During an Oct. 23 interview, the Marin County sheriff’s investigator conducting the coroner’s investigation noted a CHP officer told her the deputy was not going Code 3, which indicates the use of emergency lights and sirens. “Emergency lights were used at a time prior to impact, but not in the few seconds leading up to the crash,” the summary said.

The report and an Oct. 6 statement from CHP right after the crash said the deputy was trying to catch up to two cars whose drivers were suspected of street racing.

The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that detail and said the suspects weren’t apprehended. A department spokesman referred additional questions about the collision to the CHP.

When Cydear died, the Sheriff’s Office requested Marin County Sheriff’s Office take over the death investigation, as is typical in the case of a major injury or death involving an on-duty deputy.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office opened its own internal administrative review in October. Such inquiries are routine in the wake of officer-involved shootings, major use of force and other serious incidents, with a focus on policy, training and risk management.

They differ from — but can lead to — internal affairs investigations that are focused on a specific individual and potential policy violations. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Juan Valencia said the department is waiting on the CHP investigation so those findings can be considered before completing their review.

The deputy involved in the collision, Samuel Camarena Cruz, is still with the Sheriff’s Office and has not been put on any leave, Valencia said.

Camarena Cruz has been involved in at least one prior serious on-duty crash, according to records obtained by The Press Democrat.

On Jan. 1, 2020, Camarena Cruz and Deputy Donald McCarthy were responding to a domestic violence call on Highway 12 east of Melita Road in Santa Rosa. McCarthy slowed as he approached the scene and prepared to pull onto the road’s shoulder, a CHP collision report said. Camarena Cruz who had been following behind, said he looked down at his map on his patrol car computer and when he looked up “saw brake lights and slammed on my brakes,” according to a statement he gave later from a hospital.

He hit McCarthy from the rear, sending his vehicle into a metal guardrail, road sign and a tree. Both patrol cars sustained major damage, including shattered windshields and windows and crumpled or crushed panels.

In its report, the CHP concluded Camarena Cruz “was traveling at an unsafe speed for the traffic conditions ahead while diverting his attention.”

McCarthy suffered major, unspecified injuries at the time, according to a family obituary last year — five years later — when he died “unexpectedly” at age 42. The notice did not list a cause of death. 

The obituary included a detailed description of McCarthy’s law enforcement career. It noted he retired in 2024 “due to the severity of his injuries” after a crash “while responding to a radio call while on patrol.”

“Another vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, struck his vehicle, totaling both cars,” the obituary said. “Displaying his true, stubborn, Fighting Irish Spirit, he fought his way back to full duty, even getting promoted to the rank of Detective” but eventually “he had to leave the profession he loved and the job he was born to do.”

Records for Sonoma County government’s pension system show he applied for a service-connected disability retirement in March 2023 and was granted those retirement benefits in September of that year.

Attempts to reach his family were unsuccessful.

Camarena Cruz did not respond to a request for comment about the 2025 and 2020 collisions. Valencia said it is department policy that deputies involved in major incidents make no statements to the press. Valencia said he could not answer questions about Camarena Cruz’ driving history or if there was any inquiry or discipline following the 2020 crash, citing privacy protections for personnel records.

In the aftermath of the October crash that killed Cydear, none of the involved or investigating agencies appear to have issued any public acknowledgement of his death.

At Cydear’s south Santa Rosa home, a large American flag hangs over the front door and the lawn has been kept manicured.

Without close living relatives, it is unclear what will happen to the place, Martinez said. Another neighbor who was very close to Cydear is looking after it for now and taking care of Cydear’s dog, Sally.

“I thought for sure he would pull through,” Martinez said. “It is just so sad,” she said — a “senseless loss.”

You can reach senior reporter Marisa Endicott at 707-521-5470 or marisa.endicott@pressdemocrat.com. On X @marisaendicott and Facebook @InYourCornerTPD.