Longtime teacher at Santa Rosa school killed in crash on Highway 12

( KRON ) — A longtime teacher and coach at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 12 on Thursday, the school’s former principal confirmed to KRON4. Pat LaFortune was a school employee from 1973-2019.

The crash happened around noon, and nine people were injured in addition to LaFortune’s death. The pickup truck driven by LaFortune was one of almost a dozen vehicles involved.

Former Cardinal Newman principal Graham Rutherford, who confirmed the news to KRON4, said he is “shocked and saddened” to hear of the loss of his friend.

LaFortune taught social studies for 46 years. He also worked as a coach for the track & field and cross country teams for 40 years, and he coached the school’s baseball and football teams in the 1970s.

He was the school’s longest-serving teacher and coach, Rutherford said. The school named its track after LaFortune after he celebrated his 40th work anniversary.

LaFortune came to Southern California from Canada as a teenager. He served in the Army as a medic in the Vietnam War before becoming a teacher, according to his profile in the Newman School Times .

“Students and fellow teachers greatly respected and loved Pat; his loss for us and his family is heart breaking and irreplaceable,” Rutherford said.

The crash happened when a big rig failed to stop on Highway 12 as it approached a traffic light. It knocked into multiple cars in both lanes, and LaFortune’s truck caught fire, California Highway Patrol said.

Three people suffered major injuries, and six had minor injuries. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.