Woman killed in three-vehicle crash in Santa Rosa identified; man charged with drunk driving

A wave of grief swept through Sonoma County police circles on Saturday when it was announced that one of their own had died in a three-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon.

When Santa Rosa Police Department officers arrived at the corner of Lombardi Court and Sebastopol Road around 1:35 p.m. Friday, they found firefighters freeing 31-year-old Jessica Avila Muñoz from her Honda sedan. Avila was unconscious.

The woman was immediately taken by ambulance to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Avila's death was pronounced a short time later.

The deceased was a juvenile corrections officer assigned to the Sonoma County Juvenile Correctional Center. According to Damian Evans, president of the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association, she was also a single mother and was on her way to pick up her 13-year-old daughter from school at the time of the accident.

“Many of you have been fortunate enough to work with Jessica at the juvenile detention center or have had the opportunity to get to know her at a department training, her swearing-in ceremony, or by running alongside her at this year's torch relay,” Vanessa Fuchs, the county's chief probation officer, wrote in an email to her staff.

“I wish I could say or do something that would make it easier, but I just can't. What I will say is that it's hard, shocking and incredibly sad.”

Santa Rosa police have arrested 68-year-old Nhan Van Nguyen in connection with Avila's death. He is charged with vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving causing serious bodily harm.

Nguyen also appeared to be injured at the scene and was also taken to a hospital by ambulance. After being questioned by police, he was released from the hospital without injuries and taken to the Sonoma County Jail.

Avila and Nguyen both lived in Santa Rosa.

Based on witness statements and video surveillance, Santa Rosa Police believe Avila was turning left from Lombardi Court onto eastbound Sebastopol Road when Nguyen, driving a Dodge pickup truck westbound on Sebastopol Road, ran a red light and collided with Avila's Honda at the intersection.

Her car was thrown into a Prius that was stopped at the light on eastbound Sebastopol Road. The driver of the Prius was uninjured and remained at the scene of the accident, according to an SRPD news release.

An SRPD accident investigator learned from officers on scene that Nguyen had shown signs of alcohol impairment at the time of the accident. A hospital alcohol screen confirmed these reports.

Police soon discovered that Nguyen had already been arrested four times for drunk driving and was driving without a license.

Officers closed the intersection of Lombardi and Sebastopol for approximately 6 hours Friday while they investigated. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Officer Carolina Zepeda at [email protected] or 707-543-3600, extension 5876.

The county police association worked with the Police Officers Research Association of California on Saturday to activate a GoFundMe account to benefit Avila's family.

“Jessica was a dedicated and caring single mother who was known as a fun-loving woman,” the state research association wrote in a statement it planned to include in the plea. “She was proud to work as a peace officer for the Sonoma County Probation Department at the Juvenile Detention Center and was excited to begin her career in the criminal justice system.”

Avila was born and raised in Sonoma County. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University, where she earned degrees in psychology and legal studies. She was the first in her family to graduate from college.

“Your donations will help the daughter and her family pay for funeral expenses and adjust to the new reality of a future without her,” the research association said.

Reach Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @Skinny_Post.