Paulino Najera, a 28-year-old man, has entered a no-contest plea to charges of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and felony drunk driving with aggravating factors. These charges originate from a DUI-related crash that occurred in May 2018. The incident resulted in the death of Najera's passenger when he swerved into oncoming traffic. It was noted that at the time of the crash, Najera was already under probation for a prior DUI, as reported by the San Mateo County District Attorney.
Paulino Najera (28) pled no contest felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, felony drunk driving & aggravating factors, stemming from a drunken crash in May '18 when he veered into oncoming traffic, killing his passenger while on probation for DUI. Sentencing Oct 1. pic.twitter.com/31GU0QepzF
— San Mateo County District Attorney (@SanMateoCoDA) September 3, 2024
Providing further details of the incident, the San Mateo County District Attorney announced that Najera is scheduled for sentencing on October 1.
The fatal collision, as documented by CBS San Francisco, occurred when Najera's vehicle, a 1998 Ford Contour, reportedly drifted into the opposing lane and collided with a 2008 Toyota 4Runner. Najera sustained major injuries and was airlifted to Stanford Medical Center. Another individual involved in the crash also incurred major injuries and received medical attention at the same hospital. The passenger in the Ford, whose life was abruptly ended at the scene, became another sobering statistic in the ongoing dialogue about DUI casualties.
Authorities received reports of the collision involving multiple vehicles around 8:40 p.m. on state Highway 1 south of Bean Hollow Road in Pescadero, an area in unincorporated San Mateo County.
