Published
10 months agoon
A Visalia man received a 24-year prison sentence last week for a DUI collision that killed a 58-year-old motorcyclist near Porterville.
Dominic Casarez received a 24-year state prison sentence. (Tulare County Sheriff’s Office)
Dominic Casarez, 24, had pleaded no contest in December to gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run in the death of Louis Munoz.
“Louis Munoz was loved by many and touched the lives of many, and his loss is felt each and every day,” said Tulare County senior deputy district attorney Noell Niayesh, who prosecuted the case.
The collision occurred at about 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 22, 2021, on Orange Belt Avenue near Avenue 112.
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Based on evidence at the scene, California Highway Patrol investigators determined that Munoz was riding south 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, they said.
Before he died later at a hospital, Munoz said that the Chevy crossed into his lane.
Casarez fled but was apprehended about 45 minutes later. According to court records, he admitted to driving the sedan and had injuries consistent with a vehicle collision. His blood-alcohol count was .19%.
Casarez has a 2021 prior strike conviction for shooting into an occupied dwelling and a 2021 misdemeanor DUI conviction in San Luis Obispo County.
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Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email