A Graton man and his Healdsburg girlfriend were killed Thursday night in a solo-vehicle crash near Graton, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The Sonoma County coroner's office said 25-year-old Michael Patrick Janssen Jr. and 18-year-old Ericka Maria Bursby died in the crash. An autopsy was scheduled for today.
Janssen was driving his 1995 BMW 318 at a high rate of speed north on Laguna Road south of Vine Hill School Road to his house around 8 p.m., CHP Officer Jonathan Sloat said.
Janssen crossed into the oncoming lane, lost control of the vehicle and slid back across the northbound lane and off the shoulder, Sloat said. The driver's side of the car struck a dirt embankment and landed on its left side in the northbound lane.
Janssen and Bursby were not wearing seatbelts and were partially ejected through the sunroof of the car, Sloat said.
Janssen was pronounced dead at 8:13 p.m. and Bursby was pronounced dead five minutes later, the coroner's office said.
The CHP is investigating whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash but there were no obvious signs alcohol was involved, Sloat said
