Santa Rosa police officer killed in fatal crash; other driver charged with fifth drunk driving offense

SANTA ROSA – A Santa Rosa man with multiple previous convictions for driving under the influence is again accused of driving while intoxicated in Santa Rosa on Friday, causing a crash that left a 31-year-old woman dead.

Santa Rosa police identified the victim Saturday as Santa Rosa resident Jessica Avila Munoz, a peace officer with the Sonoma County Probation Department.

Munoz was turning left from Lombardi Court onto eastbound Sebastopol Road when her white Honda was allegedly struck by a Dodge pickup truck driven by 68-year-old Nhan Van Nguyen, who police say is accused of running a red light on westbound Sebastopol Road.

Munoz's vehicle struck a third vehicle, a Prius. The driver was uninjured, but Munoz was trapped in her vehicle with serious injuries.

Firefighters rescued her after arriving at the scene at 1:35 p.m. She was taken to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

Nguyen was also taken to the hospital but was uninjured. Police said he showed signs of intoxication and an examination at the hospital revealed he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

According to police, Nguyen has four previous drunken driving convictions and driving with a suspended license. He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated causing serious bodily harm.

The intersection of Lombardi Court and Sebastopol Road was closed for approximately six hours during the investigation.

“Jessica Avila Munoz, a sworn peace officer with the Sonoma County Probation Department, was driving to pick up her 13-year-old daughter from school and was killed in a car crash by a suspected drunk driver,” the county probation department said in a statement Saturday.