Santa Rosa, CA : Ihab Usama Halaweh, 20, died and Norman Greenbaum, 72, injured in car accident in a Northern California on Saturday, March 28, 2015

Two people, including singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum, remained in critical condition Sunday, a day after a motorcycle crashed into a Subaru Outback at Occidental and Piezzi roads west of Santa Rosa.

The driver of the Outback, Bonita Perea, 63, of Santa Rosa, was traveling east on Occidental Road and failed to yield to the motorcycle when turning left onto Piezzi Road, CHP officials said. The motorcycle driver, Ihab Usama Halaweh, 20, of Santa Rosa, crashed into the sedan and died at the scene.

The passenger on the motorcycle, identified as Nhimia Mekonnen Kahsay, 20, and Greenbaum, who was a passenger in the Outback, were injured in the crash and transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The driver of the Outback was not injured, CHP officials said.

“There’s no stop, but the Subaru driver was supposed to yield to oncoming traffic and they didn’t,” said CHP officer Matt Pinheiro, who was at the scene of the crash, which occurred at 3:20 p.m. Saturday.

Kahsay was being treated in the intensive care unit at Santa Rosa Memorial for injuries sustained in the crash, said Vanessa DeGier, a hospital spokeswoman.

Kahsay’s injuries did not appear to be life threatening, but his vital signs were unstable, DeGier said.

“Critical condition means the patient may also be unconscious,” she said. “Indicators are unfavorable at the moment.”

DeGier said no additional information was available for Greenbaum, citing patient privacy laws.

Greenbaum, 72, a longtime Sonoma County resident, was best known for his 1969 hit “Spirit in the Sky” — one of the most familiar pop songs of the past 50 years.

Source :
'Spirit in the Sky' singer injured in California crash