Hollister
– The Hollister woman accused of a drunken driving crash that
killed her 4-year-old daughter and injured seven other people was
driving while her license was suspended for a previous DUI,
according to the California Highway Patrol.
Hollister – The Hollister woman accused of a drunken driving crash that killed her 4-year-old daughter and injured seven other people was driving while her license was suspended for a previous DUI, according to the California Highway Patrol
Antoinette Vanessa Soliz, 25, was wanted on a warrant from a previous driving under the influence arrest in Santa Clara, CHP Officer Jason Smith said Tuesday.
The Santa Cruz County Coroner’s office identified the girl killed in the accident as Jasmine Arroyo of Hollister. She died Monday morning at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where she had been flown after the crash.
Soliz was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe, crowded with two other adults and seven children, when she lost control of the vehicle at 1:20am Monday, according to the CHP. The vehicle crashed into the center guardrail 10 miles south of Santa Cruz on Highway 1 and rolled numerous times, the CHP said.
Soliz’s 10-year-old son, who was ejected during the crash, was in critical condition Wednesday at Stanford Medical Center with severe lacerations to his liver, a fractured neck and fluid in his lungs, Smith said. Her 8-year-old son, who was also ejected, was in serious condition at Stanford Medical Center with a lacerated liver and a fractured shoulder.
The CHP would not release the boy’s names.
Cassandra Gonzalez, a 23-year-old Gilroy woman, was alert and talking Wednesday but in serious condition at Stanford Medial Center. The woman’s 2-year-old daughter, suffered head injuries and was in serious condition at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
Gonzalez is the mother of two other children who were involved in the crash. Her 3-year-old daughter was in serious but stable condition at Stanford Medical Center Wednesday. Her 1-year-old daughter was in a car seat when the crash occurred and was uninjured, the CHP said.
David Munoz, a 24-year-old Gilroy man, who was also ejected from the vehicle, was in serious but stable condition at Stanford Medical Center with unknown injuries, Smith said.
Soliz’s 15-year-old niece, who lives in Gilroy, was also injured in the crash, Smith said. The 15-year-old was taken to Watsonville Community Hospital with cuts and bruises, Smith said. She remains hospitalized.
“Nobody is going downhill, everybody is going uphill,” Smith said of those injured.
Soliz’s vehicle was equipped with nine seat belts, Smith said, but authorities are still trying to determine who was or wasn’t using the restraints at the time of the crash.
“I don’t believe everybody in the vehicle was properly restrained,” he said.
The CHP had yet to determine where the occupants of the vehicle were headed, where they had been or if alcohol was being consumed in the vehicle, Smith said.
Soliz submitted to a blood test to determine her level of intoxication, Smith said. Results are expected within a few days, he said.
Soliz was arrested for gross vehicular manslaughter and eight counts of felony drunken driving, according to the CHP. The Santa Cruz District Attorney’s office was working with the CHP on official charges, according to the District Attorney’s office.
She was present in San Benito County Superior Court Tuesday morning for an appearance involving two misdemeanor domestic violence incidents and several infractions for not sending her children to school, according to court documents.
Soliz was released on $50,000 in bail from the Santa Cruz County Jail Monday afternoon, according to jail personnel.
If convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, Soliz could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the California Penal Code.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or mv*********@***********ws.com.
