By Anna Wright,Editor
Copyright dailymail
An alleged drunk driver who killed six passengers and injured another after his mini van slammed into a tree has been charged with murder.
Norberto Celerino, 53, was arrested following the horror collision in Napa Valley on Sunday.
The Stockton native has two prior DUI convictions which previously resulted in his license being suspended, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Six passengers were pronounced dead at the scene after Celerino plowed his Toyota Sienna minivan into a tree near a vineyard off Pope Valley Road.
The victims’ names have not been released and their relationship to Celerino has not been confirmed.
‘The fact that six people were killed in this crash is a horrible tragedy,’ said CHP Sgt Andrew Barclay to CBS. ‘But it’s made even worse by the fact that this was caused by an individual who chose to drive while under the influence of alcohol.’
Celerino and one other passenger were airlifted to trauma centers, according to SFGate.
The California Highway Patrol and Napa County police responded to the crash around 6pm.
The road was shut down until about 2.20am. The police are reviewing the mini-van’s speed and if the passengers wore seatbelts.
CHP Sgt Barclay told the Chronicle that Celerino was booked on suspicion of felony DUI and murder.
The district attorney’s office also confirmed to the outlet that he is on probation for a 2024 DUI case and domestic violence case.
Celerino plead guilty to a misdemeanor DUI last October. He additionally admitted to a prior DUI conviction from 2020 and was prosecuted for DUI in 2010, according to The Mercury News. His driver’s license was suspended.
This was the third fatal DUI-related crash in Napa County this year.
California drivers can face second-degree murder in cases where someone dies because of another driver’s intoxicated driving, according to the ‘Watson DUI’ charge.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Napa County Coroner Office and the CHP for comment.
