Russian River restaurant closes after owner dies in fiery crash

San Francisco Chronicle · Aidin Vaziri · 2026-10-21 05:50 UTC

The Blue Heron, a longtime restaurant and gathering place near the Russian River, has closed indefinitely after owner Tom O’Bryan was killed in a fiery crash.

The Blue Heron Restaurant & Tavern, a longtime gathering place in the Russian River community of Duncans Mills, has closed indefinitely after its owner was killed in a fiery crash on Highway 116.

The restaurant announced the closure Monday, following Tom O’Bryan’s death.

“To say we are devastated would be a tremendous understatement,” O’Bryan’s family wrote in a statement posted by the Blue Heron. “We are absolutely devastated by Tom’s loss in this tragic accident and our thoughts are with those that were injured.”

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