Santa Rosa man sentenced to serve 16 years in state prison for DUI and causing injury to multiple victims

Defendant Augie Lamar Delariva, 32 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced earlier today by the Honorable Robert LaForge to serve 16 years in state prison after pleading “no contest” in April of this year to felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury. In addition, the defendant admitted four enhancements for causing great bodily injury, and two enhancements for causing injury to more than one victim.

District Attorney Rodriguez stated, “This defendant was driving on the freeway at 4 o’clock in the afternoon with almost three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system. He caused significant physical and emotional damage to these victims, and we believe this prison sentence is appropriate.”

The collision occurred in April of 2021 when the victims decided to go for a short road trip on US-101 and became stopped in traffic at approximately 4:00 p.m. on northbound US-101 near the Santa Rosa Avenue exit. The defendant was also driving on US-101 northbound in a lifted Chevrolet Silverado pickup with a blood alcohol concentration of .22%. When traffic slowed to a stop the defendant failed to slow and crashed into the rear of the victim’s vehicle at approximately 70 mph. Witnesses to the collision described the sound of the collision to be like an explosion, which ultimately propelled the victim’s vehicle into a third vehicle. The defendant then left the scene and parked on the Santa Rosa Avenue exit. The victim’s vehicle was occupied by five people, some of whom suffered life threatening injuries. In a written statement to the court, one victim noted that every bone in her face was broken, which required three surgeries to repair. In addition, she suffered a broken wrist, and broken spine.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Adam McBride of the District Attorney’s Vertical DUI Unit. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The prosecution was assisted by District Attorney Investigator Edward Crosby. Tyler Vallee of California Highway Patrol headed the investigation.