Three women killed in Silverado Trail crash; American Canyon man faces manslaughter charges
An American Canyon man was charged Wednesday with multiple felonies in connection with Saturday’s crash on the Silverado Trail that cost the lives of three women, according to court filings.
Willliam D. Brumley, 68, who was injured in the three-vehicle crash and has remained hospitalized, did not appear on Wednesday before Napa County Superior Court judge to be arraigned on four major felonies with special allegations.
Brumley was arrested Saturday at Adventist Health St. Helena on suspicion of driving under the influence of a drug after displaying signs of “drug impairment,” according to the California Highway Patrol. He admitted smoking methamphetamine before the crash, a CHP officer stated in a court filing.
A little before noon Saturday, Brumley was driving a Mitsubishi sedan, south on the Silverado Trail, when he was seen weaving in his lane before crossing the double-yellow lines into the northbound lane, according to court records.
His car sideswiped a BMW SUV headed in the opposite direction before crashing into a Toyota sedan traveling behind the BMW in the 5700 block of the Silverado Trail near Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the CHP said.
The crash killed three women: American Canyon residents Vivian Bertolino, 65, and Linda Wolters, 62, both of whom were in Brumley’s Mitsubishi; and Katrina Clarke, 65, of Sacramento, a passenger in the Toyota.
The driver of the Toyota, Christopher Corsello, Clarke, and two other passengers were transported to Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center with major injuries, according to the CHP.
Clarke was pronounced dead at the hospital. The two other passengers were identified in the criminal complaint as Kurt Rohlfes and Tiffani Reed. Their condition, like Corsello’s, was unknown as of Wednesday.
Brumley on Saturday was transferred to Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to the CHP. His location as of Wednesday was unclear.
The Napa County District Attorney has charged Brumley with three felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of a drug causing injury, along with eight special allegations, including one for poor performance on probation or parole. He may be arraigned on Thursday.
Brumley was arrested in 2002 on suspicion of burglary of a storage shed in Napa, according to court records. He was sentenced in 2004 to a year in jail in connection with that case, according to court filing.
He has also been stopped for speeding and driving without a license, court records indicate.
The driver of the BMW, John Hayes, of Reno, and a passenger were treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to the CHP.
