I’m Ed Smith, a Vacaville wrongful death lawyer. A 66-year-old Vacaville man made a brief appearance in court on Tuesday, February 8, 2018. The man was charged with murder in a drunk driving accident case as well as accusations of running a red light, driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a fatal collision. The man has since entered a not guilty plea for these charges.
Accident Details
Thomas Astarita’s vehicle broadsided a Honda driven by 48-year-old Vacaville woman at the intersection of Marshall Road and Nut Tree Road during the night of July 31, 2017. A traffic accident report indicated that the point of impact for the crash was the driver’s side door on the Honda. The collision allegedly caused the Honda driver, Cynthia Clay, to be pinned inside her vehicle. She was, unfortunately, pronounced deceased a short time after being extricated from her vehicle by responding officials. Authorities reported that Astarita’s blood-alcohol content had been measured to 0.19 percent at the scene of the accident.
Prior Convictions
Thomas Astarita was convicted for driving under the influence (DUI) in 2013 when he was caught driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.22 percent. As a result of this conviction, he signed a document stating that any DUI fatality he causes in the future could be charged as a case of murder. As such, these are the current charges Astarita is facing. Astarita’s first probable cause hearing had previously been scheduled for Tuesday, February 20, 2018 but was rescheduled to April 10, 2018 for undisclosed reasons.
Vacaville Drunk Driving Accident Statistics
The city of Vacaville has experienced 344 drunk driving accidents involving some level of traumatic injury during the period of 2006 to 2016. These incidents were comprised of 18 pedestrian accidents, 14 bicycle accidents and 29 motorcycle accidents. Only 109 (31.7 percent) of these crashes occurred along a state highway while the rest occurred along roads operated by city officials. Authorities reported that 16 individuals suffered fatal trauma, 53 suffered severe visible injuries, 187 suffered serious non-visible injuries, and 241 made complaints of pain to responding officials. Additionally, the individuals most frequently injured in these collisions were motorists. Accident data revealed that drivers were injured nearly twice as often as passengers.
Vacaville DUI Accident Locations
The following areas in Vacaville have been sites of a relatively high number of DUI accidents:
- Alamo Drive at Merchant Street
- East Monte Vista Avenue Near Depot Street
- Leisure Town Road near Hawkins Road
- Elmira Road at Nut Tree Road
- Alamo Drive between Peabody Road and Vanden Road
Related Articles by Ed Smith, a Vacaville Wrongful Death Lawyer:
Vacaville Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Vacaville wrongful death lawyer. The consequences of drunk driving accidents are endless. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in an auto accident involving a drunk or reckless driver, please call me at (707) 564-1900 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
Since 1982, I have helped Vacaville residents with cases that involve either wrongful death, personal injury, or both to receive the compensation that they are rightfully entitled to.
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