Driver apologized before sentence in crash that killed Bodega Bay scientist

The driver who caused the 2018 six-car crash that killed a distinguished local marine scientist will not spend a day behind bars after he pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and apologized to the victim’s family before his sentencing last week.

Javier Rodriguez-Lopez, 21 of Pittsburg, faced up to one year in Sonoma County Jail for causing an early-morning crash in Petaluma on April 24, 2018, that took the life of Susan Williams, 66, a prominent researcher at UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory.

Rodriguez-Lopez, then 19, fell asleep while driving to work with his father in a Chevrolet Silverado, which crossed over the double yellow along Lakeville Highway near South McDowell Boulevard and collided head-on with the Toyota Prius driven by Williams. She was driving from her Bodega Bay home to teach a class at UC Davis.

Rodriguez-Lopez, who did not have a license at the time of the crash, told investigators he was up until 1 a.m. the night before, was fatigued and did not remember the moments before impact. His Santa Rosa attorney, Andrew Martinez, said Rodriguez-Lopez was only driving because his father, who also was tired, asked him to.

Rodriguez-Lopez was sentenced Friday to one month in county jail, three years probation, and 200 hours of community service either related to marine sciences education or addressing young drivers in high schools about the dangers of driving while fatigued. He’ll spend that month working on county projects through a jail work-release program instead of being incarcerated, according to Martinez.

“Basically, he was saying, ‘This was an accident, and I never thought that by trying to help my dad out like I was that I would fall asleep and cause this kind of an incident,’” Martinez said of Rodriguez-Lopez’s pre-sentencing message.

Williams’ relatives could not be reached for comment Monday about the resolution in the case.

Their requests for jail time for Rodriguez-Lopez ranged from one day to one year, according to Sonoma County Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Staebell.

They also asked for him to pay restitution and be placed on probation, Staebell said in an email.

Prosecutors did not ask for a specific jail sentence but requested that Rodriguez-Lopez “serve some time in jail,” Staebell said, who noted that Rodriguez-Lopez’s criminal history was “very minimal” prior to the crash.

“This defendant simply fell asleep behind the wheel while driving to work,” Staebell said. “He was extremely remorseful, and pleaded guilty to all charges at an early stage of the proceedings.”

The sentence was handed down by Sonoma County Commissioner Troye Shaffer, who addressed Rodriguez-Lopez in court on Friday.

“Our young people are often told about the dangers of drinking and driving or texting and driving, but they are often not informed that being too tired is also an appropriate reason to pull over,” she said, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

“Given your experience which resulted in this traffic loss of life I think you are in a good position to relay that message.”

Martinez said Rodriguez-Lopez experienced “pretty severe depression” after the crash and said he thought the sentence was fair.

“It’s hard to call it an accident, because he did fall asleep and he shouldn’t have,” Martinez said.

“But unfortunately in life, these kinds of things happen, and the tragedy that comes out of it is a really hard part to understand.”

Williams’ field of study included seagrass and coral reefs at the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory and documented the impacts of increased ocean water temperatures, invasive species and human activity, as well as the prevalence of plastic in the sea.

Her death prompted an outpouring of support, sadness and acclaim from her colleagues. Williams was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame last year after her application was sponsored by fellow UC Davis marine scientist Laura Rogers-Bennett.

“Given her accomplishments in diving, as an aquanaut, as a director of the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, and as a marine conservation scientist working on coral reef and eel grass restoration, it was only fitting that Susan’s name be included with the other distinguished women divers from around the world,” Rogers-Bennett wrote in a 2019 blog post. She could not be reached for comment Monday.

Another blog post from late 2018 cited the many tributes to Williams, including a video message from U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and the naming of a research boat in her honor, according to the post by Bill Dennison, vice president for science applications and marine science professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

“I still have a hole in my heart, but it feels less raw and I realize how fortunate I have been to have had Susan in my life for so many years,” wrote Dennison, who could not be reached for comment Monday.

UC Davis set up the Dr. Susan Lynn Williams Memorial Graduate Award in the late scientist’s honor, with donations going “specifically to support graduate students working on coastal research that focuses on marine ecology,” according to a university website. A university representative did not respond to a request for comment about the fund.

Williams’ husband could not be reached for comment.

Representatives of the Bodega Marine Laboratory attended Rodriguez-Lopez’s sentencing hearing, but “they do not wish to comment or be interviewed as they are upset,” said Gary Cherr, director of the laboratory, in an email. He declined to comment.

Rodriguez-Lopez wrote a letter to Williams’ husband and apologized to him and to Williams’ sister, Martinez said.

The Press Democrat asked his attorney to pass along a request for an interview Monday and did not hear back by deadline.

You can reach Staff Writer Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or will.schmitt@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @wsreports.