A former teacher at Cardinal Newman High School is being remembered after he died in a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 12 in southwest Santa Rosa on Thursday that also injured multiple others.
Educators said Patt LaFortune's memory would continue to be honored at Cardinal Newman. LaFortune taught and coached there for 46 years.
"It was a huge shock yesterday. It was right before we had back-to-school night, so it was hard to rally for that, to be honest," said Dave Geoffrion, a Cardinal Newman High teacher. "Patt would've wanted us to go on and do the best job as professionals. Let the parents know your kids are well taken care of by your loved Pawould'veve don."
Graham Rutherford, a former student of LaFortune and now a teacher at Cardinal Newman, said he is trying to push forward despite the difficulties it has caused him and his students.
"I particularly enjoyed being a TA in the history class as a senior and getting the chance to try to teach some stuff because I was interested in teaching," Rutherford said. "He gave me my first teaching practice."
Before retiring in 2019, LaFortune coached football, baseball, cross country and track. On his fortieth teaching anniversary, the school names the track after LaFortune,"
"His athletes felt like they were always important to him, no matter what skill level they were," Geoffrion said. "He loved the school. You could see the devotion. How many teachers put in 40+ years and one place? You don't see that these days.
Local
On Thursday, the California Highway Patrol initially responded to the collision around 11:50 a.m. after receiving a report of a multi-vehicle crash.
According to the CHP, ten vehicles were stopped at a red light on Highway 12 at Fulton Road when a dump truck hauling didn't stop and barreled into the rear of the last car in line, creating a chain reaction that killed one person and sent eight people to the hospital with mild to moderate injuries.
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A CHP spokesperson said about half of the vehicles had" "quite a bit of damage," and one caught on fire.
LaFortune is succeeded by his wife, who also taught at Cardinal Newman, three grown children and 12 grandchildren.
