Woman Identified In Road-Rage Crash Leaves Behind 3-Year-Old Son

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A woman killed in a suspected road rage hit-and-run crash Oct. 5 in Sonoma County was identified by the sheriff-coroner's office as Carena Lashey Piccinotti, 33, of Santa Rosa.

Piccinotti was the passenger in a Volkswagen SUV that was struck by a suspected DUI driver shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 on Stony Point Road, south of Rohnert Park Expressway.

The California Highway Patrol said 20-year-old Diego Diaz-Hernandez of Santa Rosa was driving a Mazda SUV southbound on Stony Point behind the Volkswagen SUV and began intentionally ramming the Volkswagen — pushing the Volkswagen to the left into oncoming northbound traffic.

The Volkswagen was then struck by a Mercedes in the northbound lane, causing fatal injuries to Piccinotti who was in the right-front passenger seat.

The VW driver, along with Piccinotti's 3-year-old son Ayden who was riding in the back seat, survived the crash. They were both taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of major injuries, the CHP said.

"Gone To Live In The Sky"

Ayden is "too young to understand the magnitude of what has happened, but he knows his Mom has gone to live in the sky," family member Christa Piccinotti wrote on GoFundMe.

His mother graduated from Rancho Cotate High School, attended Santa Rosa Junior College, and most recently worked as an administrative assistant for a company based in Rohnert Park.

"Carena was a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Her heart was as big as her smile, and her greatest joy in life was being a mother to Ayden," Christa wrote. "Her sudden loss has left an unimaginable hole in all of our hearts, a void that will never truly be filled."

Family members aimed to raise $50,000 through the fundraising campaign "Help Secure Ayden's Future in Memory of Carena."

"We want to honor Carena by giving her son the care, support, and opportunities she dreamed of for him," Christa wrote. "We are asking for your help to ensure Ayden is cared for in the way his mother would have wanted."

By Monday, the page had brought in more than $10,000.

No Bail

Diaz-Hernandez remained in custody Monday at Sonoma County jail, where he was being held without bail in connection with the events of Oct. 5.

It is alleged that in addition to the collision that killed Piccinotti, Diaz-Hernandez intentionally caused at least two other crashes the afternoon of Oct. 5. He was also being investigated in connection with two crashes that morning in Cotati.

He has been charged with first-degree murder, hit and run, reckless driving causing serious injury, two counts of bodily injury to a child under 5 years old, six counts of assault with a deadly weapon and several sentence-enhancing counts.

Diaz-Hernandez is due in court Nov. 16.

• PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Multiple Road-Rage Crashes —1 Fatal — Caused By DUI Driver: CHP