Visalia man sentenced in fatal DUI motorcycle crash
Crash happened in 2021 south of Porterville
On Thursady in Department 18 of the Tulare County Superior Court, South County Justice Center, the court sentenced Dominic Casarez, 24, to 24 years in prison for a DUI crash that took the life of a 58-year-old victim.
On September 22, 2021, around 2:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol officers responded to a traffic collision on Orange Belt Drive near Avenue 112, south of Porterville.
When they arrived, they located a vehicle versus motorcycle traffic collision. Based on physical evidence at the scene, officers determined the victim, Louis Munoz, was traveling south on his motorcycle while Casarez was traveling north in a 2008 Chevy sedan.
Casarez drifted into the oncoming lane while negotiating a turn and crashed into the victim. Munoz was able to give a brief statement that the sedan drifted into his lane. He died at the hospital a few hours later.
Casarez fled the scene but was located nearby approximately 45 minutes after the collision. He admitted driving the sedan and had injuries consistent with the collision. He submitted to a breath test that showed his BAC was .19 percent.
On December 21, 2022, Casarez pleaded no contest to gross vehicular manslaughter with a strike prior and hit and run causing death with the special allegation of causing great bodily injury or death. Casarez possesses a 2021 prior strike conviction for shooting at an occupied dwelling, and a 2021 misdemeanor DUI conviction in San Luis Obispo County.
“Louis Munoz was loved by many and touched the lives of many, and his loss is felt each and every day,” said prosecutor Noell Niayesh.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Noell Niayesh and was investigated by the California Highway Patrol.