Hernandez was able to escape with minor injuries, but her daughters were trapped inside.
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Sayra Gonzalez, 7, and Delilah Gonzalez, 9, were freed from the submerged vehicle by about 8:25 a.m., about 14 minutes after Petaluma police were alerted to the crash, according to authorities.
Petaluma Boulevard North was closed for about six hours. Grief counselors will be available to students for the rest of the week.
Haley said he did not know the girls personally, but they were well-loved and had many friends in the community.
Alejandra Hernandez, 26, was driving the sedan when she lost control and went down a wooded embankment and into the Petaluma River, where the auto overturned and immediately sank, the California Highway Patrol said. The auto continued down a wooded embankment and struck trees before it overturned in the Petaluma River, the CHP said.
Photos from the scene showed the vehicle completely submerged.
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Firefighters and eight Petaluma police officers scaled down the embankment and entered the water to rescue the children. The girls were carried up the bank of the river and resuscitation efforts began, Holden said. The girls were brought up to the road and taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. All of the responders participated in critical incident stress defusing after the incident, Holden said. The CHP said it is investigating why Hernandez lost control of the Impala. Both girls were killed.
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Their 32-year-old mother kicked out a window in the truck and tried to remove her daughters from the back seat, but the truck sank quickly in 15-20 feet of water, according to the CHP.
