Gonzales Woman Sentenced in Double Fatality DUI Collision

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced that 33-year-old Sarah Valdez of Gonzales was sentenced on November 9, 2021 to 6 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest to 2 counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and 1 count of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury. On October 25, 2020, at 3:35 a.m., after drinking alcohol at a social gathering, Valdez left Gonzales and headed towards Salinas with her friend Samuel Bravo and her 2 sons, ages 6 and 8. Driving at speeds of over 100mph, Valdez lost control of the vehicle and crashed off the roadway into an agricultural field where the vehicle rolled several times. First responders located Valdez’s vehicle more than 200 feet off the roadway. Bravo was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The 2 minor children were rushed to the hospital where the 6 year-old later succumbed to his injuries, while the 8 year-old was treated and recovered. After the collision Valdez was contacted by California Highway Patrol officers who observed that she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Valdez submitted to a breath test and was found to have a blood alcohol concentration of .10 which is above the legal limit of .08. This case was prosecuted by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office specialized DUI Vertical Prosecution Unit. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.