Santa Rosa, CA (August 20, 2024) A devastating accident claimed the life of a Sonoma County mother on Friday, August 16.
Officers arrived to the scene at Lombardi Court and Sebastopol Road around 1:35 p.m. to find firefighters extricating 31-year-old Jessica Avila Muñoz from her Honda. She was unconscious as paramedics loaded her into an ambulance and rushed her to the hospital. Not long after, she tragically succumbed to her injuries.
An investigation found that Avila was making a left turn from Lombardi Court to eastbound Sebastopol Road just before the crash. The other motorist was traveling westbound in a Dodge pickup truck. He ran a red light and slammed into Avila in the intersection. Her car was then pushed into a Prius that was at the light. The Prius driver was uninjured and remained at the scene.
The at-fault motorist has been charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI causing great bodily injury. While he was also taken to a hospital, he was released with no injuries and booked into Sonoma County Jail. Reports state that he had four prior arrests for DUI and was driving on a suspended license.
Jessica Avila Muñoz was a Sonoma County Juvenile Correctional Counselor. The Sonoma County Facebook account posted a quote from Chief Probation Officer Vanessa Fuchs in tribute to Avila: “There is no way to express the deep loss we are feeling after learning of the tragic and sudden death of our colleague, Jessica Avila. While coping with our own loss, we can’t help but feeling tremendous sorrow for her family, friends and especially her young daughter. Jessica was just beginning her career, and all of us in the Probation Department know too well what that feeling of excitement, honor and joy is, to be able to give back to the community as public safety officers. This will be a loss we carry with us forever.”
We at Accident News Now extend our deepest condolences to the family of Jessica Avila Muñoz. We know this is an awfully difficult time as you mourn the tragic and sudden loss of a loved one. If you have any concerns about navigating the legal process surrounding this crash, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us anytime. We are here day and night, ready to ease the burden of this overwhelming and terrible event.
Have you or a loved one been impacted by this event? Our team specializes in car accidents and we are here to help. You can reach us 24/7 at (866) 945-4286 or visit our online contact form at Accident News Now.
