In a recent court ruling, Kaya Moonbelle Pritchard received a 4-year sentence to county jail for charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence with injury. Pritchard, who had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit, collided head-on with Ryan Aguirre’s vehicle on the evening of November 27, 2022, leading to his death due to blunt force injuries, as reported by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
The incident occurred when Pritchard, after having crossed the double yellow lines on SR-160, entered the opposite lane. Found unconscious in his car, which lay within an embankment, Aguirre's life was lost despite the Fire Department's efforts to rescue him from the wreckage. He was pronounced deceased at 11:14 p.m., leaving a void that legal proceedings may not fully address.
A statement from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office details the events following the collision. At the scene, officers and paramedics detected the scent of alcohol on Pritchard, but she adamantly denied consuming any intoxicants and claimed she was coming from her work at a restaurant. An investigation by an Alcohol Beverage Control agent debunked her alibi, confirming she wasn’t on the shift that night.
Pritchard, who at the scene was denied having drunk alcohol, revealed a BAC of between 0.070% and 0.074% by a preliminary alcohol screening. Later analysis indicated that, at the time of the accident, her blood alcohol level was 0.10%—exceeding the 0.08% limit that California law stipulates for drivers. The jury later acknowledged a great bodily injury allegation regarding Pritchard's actions, emphasizing the severity of the offense and its consequences.
