Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 08/27/07

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Diana Gomez

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF GROSS VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER

Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that Rolf Gregory Kissman pled guilty to two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, one felony count of driving under the influence of drugs, causing bodily injury and admitted an additional enhancement for having caused great bodily injury.

On October 25, 2005, in the late evening, Rolf Kissman was driving his full-sized truck on Highway 12 between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. He and his passenger were heading into Sebastopol to meet up with friends at a local bar. At the same time as Kissman was traveling west on Hwy 12, a minivan driven by Minerva Edith Diaz-Jimenez and occupied by Krispina Vasquez Arango and Jose Angel Medina-Rojas was traveling east on Hwy 12. Kissman, who was traveling at an unsafe speed, crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic and crashed into the minivan, killing Minerva and Krispina and seriously injuring Jose. It was later determined that Kissman was driving under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash. His blood was analyzed and found to contain cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. Officers also found cocaine in Kissman’s pocket.

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua stated that, "This incident was a tragedy that could have been avoided. Persons who use drugs or alcohol and decide to get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive, will face the consequences for their actions. Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute these individuals."

The defendant remains in custody and will be sentenced November 8, 2007. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 13 years 8 months.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner. He was assisted by District Attorney Investigator Larae Archibald. Additional trial support was provided by Dava Kohlman and Elaine Nickison.