A Livermore man, suspected of drinking and driving then crashing into a mother and her toddler is being held on a $350,000 bond. The DUI crash killed the mother and her daughter, who were pronounced dead at the scene. After colliding with the mother and daughter who were walking on a paved path from a sidewalk to an apartment complex, the man, 35-year-old Brian Jones, struck two trees and crashed into the backyards of two apartments. Two boys, aged six and seven, were playing in one of the backyards and were struck by debris from the crash.
The boys were treated for abrasions and pain at a local hospital and are now listed in stable condition. Jones was traveling at high rates of speed on Murrieta Blvd., driving a 2014 Corvette, when he allegedly lost control of the vehicle. Jones was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing injury. Jones was booked into the county jail after being treated for injuries resulting from the accident.
Suspect Heckled When Leaving Court
While leaving his first court appearance, Jones was heckled by family and friends of the victims. Members of the crowd yelled such things as “How does it feel to kill to innocent people…and you were drinking.” Jones was able to post bond to avoid sitting in jail for any significant length of time, giving prosecutors more time to file charges. While Jones did not reply to the hecklers, his attorney gave a brief statement, saying “We want everyone to know Mr. Jones is truly remorseful for everything that happened…he’s extremely sorry.” The next court date for Jones is May 28th.
Suspect Spent Time at Livermore Wine Country Festival Hours Before Crash
Subsequent news reports said mere hours prior to the crash Jones was at the Livermore Wine Country Festival. Livermore police report Jones’ BAC was nearly twice the legal limit when he struck Esperanza Morales and her daughter. Morales’ husband, was inside the apartment building with his sons when the heard the crash. Jones’ Corvette jumped the curb, hitting a tree and running into the back porch of an apartment building. Morales and her young daughter were trapped underneath the car. A neighbor, Cynthia Chen, said she saw Jones immediately after the crash, and that he was unable to walk straight. It remains to be seen exactly what charges Jones will face.