Sunday's fatal traffic incident in Pope Valley has been followed by the release of the names of the six men who lost their lives. The Napa County Coroner's Office identified the decedents, with the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco assisting in the identification process. Per a social media post from the Napa County Sheriff's Office, the families of the deceased waited patiently during this process, and the consulate's help was "greatly appreciated."
Yesterday, Araon Ruiz Ruiz, 39, Beymar Reynosa Rodriguez, 32, Demetrio Celerino Francisco, 39, and Pedro Lopez Gomez, 57, all residents of the Stockton area, were identified. The day before, Loreto Ricardo Hernandez, 42, and Fernando Silverio, 34, were also named. The report released by the officials does not yet provide a detailed account of a connection between the individuals.
The six deceased were passengers in a minivan that veered off the road and struck a tree, an incident now confirmed as involving suspected DUI. As reported by abc10, the driver, Norberto Celerino Villalva, 53, also from Stockton, and another passenger sustained serious injuries. According to ABC7 News, Villalva is being charged with DUI and homicide. The California Highway Patrol reported that they responded to Pope Valley Road north of Howell Mountain Road at around 5:50 PM on the day of the accident.
