A vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident on Highway 29, Friday night, February 21st, left Luis Avila-Arriaga, 32, of Napa, injured. The accident occurred while the injured man was trying to cross the highway north of Imola Avenue at about 10:30 p.m.
An investigation by the California Highway Patrol uncovered that Avila-Arriaga was drunk while he was walking on the road. When he got to the highway, he attempted to cross the way and walked straight into the path of an oncoming Land Rover.
The vehicle, driven by Bettina Sichel of Sonoma, was heading south when it struck Avila-Arriaga. The driver was not over speeding and was driving at an estimated 55 miles per hour, which is under the California speed limit of 75 mph for highways.
Avila-Arriaga sustained severe damages but survived. An examination of the injured man at the time of the accident showed that he was indeed under the influence, and paramedics transported him to Queen Valley Medical Center in Napa for treatment.
At the time of this report, the Napa native is still alive, but in critical condition. Sichel was not impaired in any way, did not sustain any injury from the accident, and does not seem to have any liability.
Under California law, it’s an offense for an intoxicated person to be out in public. It is a misdemeanor offense and any person who is found drunk faces a fine not less than $1000.
The person also faces up to a year in county jail. The police have not stated if Avila-Arriaga will get charged for public intoxication, and are still investigating the accident.
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