Father charged with son's murder in Napa County DUI crash, D.A. says
NAPA COUNTY, Calif. - A Napa County father has been charged with murder in connection to what authorities say was the DUI-related death of his son in a crash last week.
Father charged with son's murder
What we know:
The Napa County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday announced the charges against Aaron Brian Kennedy, 35, of Angwin.
District Attorney Allison Haley's news release also identified the 10-year-old boy who was killed as Aiden.
The D.A.'s office said Kennedy was driving with a .08 percent blood alcohol content and that he faces allegations of having two prior DUI convictions at the time of this crash.
"The defendant additionally faces numerous felony charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated," the D.A. alleged. Officials said the defendant drove while under the influence of alcohol and a drug, causing injury. He is also facing charges of child abuse, maintenance or placement of a booby trap, and one misdemeanor count of being an unlicensed driver.
The D.A. said the crash on Chiles Pope Valley Road injured more than one person.
"He was in a position of trust," the D.A.'s office said of Kennedy. The crimes reveal an increasing level of seriousness from past crimes, the D.A.'s office alleged.
Haley's office said Kennedy is recovering from injuries from this crash, but also said he was administratively booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections. Once he's released from the hospital, he will be taken to jail.
Prosecutors are looking to move the case forward on Friday. A judge has ordered no bail for the defendant.
The backstory:
KTVU had previously reported that the crash happened on July 18 at around 4:30 p.m. on Chiles Pope Valley Road, west of Barnett Road in St. Helena.
Kennedy and his son, who was in the backseat of a 2010 Toyota Corolla, crossed over a double yellow line and crashed head-on into a Nissan Sentra, according to the California Highway Patrol, who responded to the scene of the collision.
The boy was declared dead at the scene, while Kennedy was airlifted to a hospital with major injuries.
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