In a sobering reminder of the consequences of driving under the influence, Nathaniel Wills, a Los Angeles resident, has been sentenced for a DUI crash that took a life and left others injured. On Wednesday, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Wills will serve 15 years and 5 months in state prison. According to the press release, Wills's recklessness caused the death of passenger Leon Parks and major injuries to two other individuals in the crash occurring in Oxnard. Wills’s sentencing follows his guilty plea to the charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and driving under the influence with a 0.08% blood alcohol concentration causing injury, among other counts.
Joey Buttitta, the Communications Manager/PIO for the Ventura County District Attorney's office, detailed Wills’ prior offenses. He had already been convicted of DUI on four separate occasions and had received the Watson advisement, warning him of the potential murder charge should he kill someone while driving under the influence again. Yet, his history did not deter his actions on January 27, 2021. Driving at inappropriate speeds, he crashed into a large tree stump — an event that led to the untimely death of Mr. Parks, and severe trauma to others involved, as per the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. The subsequent trial, however, saw a deadlocked jury on most counts, including the murder charge, which led to a mistrial, Wills pled guilty to several charges thereafter.
Deputy District Attorney Jillian Ewan, assigned to the DUI Unit of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, prosecuted this grievous case. "Impaired driving is incredibly dangerous to everyone on the road," Ewan stated. The devastating outcome of Wills's choice to drive while intoxicated starkly illustrates the potential for irreversible harm that driving under the influence can cause. "This was a preventable tragedy. Wills knew that his conduct was dangerous and continued to drive impaired, resulting in the death of Leon Parks and injuring his other passengers," Ms. Ewan said, as stated by the District Attorney’s Office.
Beyond the prison term, Wills admitted to 17 special allegations and aggravating factors, such as causing bodily injury or death to more than one victim, and his recidivist behavior with prior DUI convictions is evident. Contact information for Joey Buttitta was provided in the press release for further inquiries regarding the case.
