Monterey County Wrong-Way Driver Sentenced To Prison In Fatal Crash
SALINAS (CBS SF/BCN) -- A Salinas man has been sentenced to 17 years and two months in state prison for a 2018 fatal collision while driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni.
Luciano Rojas Medina, 47, was sentenced Tuesday by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Carrie Panetta for gross vehicular manslaughter with intoxication and for driving under the influence causing great bodily injury.
A California Highway Patrol investigation concluded that Medina caused a head-on collision involving multiple vehicles, while driving the wrong way in the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 just north of Spence Road on Oct. 1, 2018, killing Gonzales resident Raymundo Navarro, 68.
Two other vehicles were also involved in the collision, with one driver complaining of pain caused by the impact.
"When officers contacted Medina, they noticed that he smelled of alcohol and that his speech was mumbled and slurred," Pacioni said in a news release.
After officers performed field sobriety tests, Medina admitted drinking two shots of tequila before driving. His blood alcohol level was subsequently measured at .24 percent.
Medina had a 2016 DUI conviction at the time.