Daughter, 7, Of Woman Killed In Hwy 12 Crash Dies In Hospital

SONOMA VALLEY, CA — A 7-year-old girl who was critically injured in a head-on crash on state Highway 12 in Sonoma County Tuesday died Thursday in an Oakland hospital. Kaliyah Adkins was taken to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital after the crash that killed her mother Estefania Soto, 27, of Boyes Hot Springs.

Sonoma County Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Staebell confirmed Adkins, a Sassarini Elementary School student, died in the hospital.

Soto was driving a 2012 Nissan Sentra east on Highway 12 west of Agua Caliente Road in unincorporated Sonoma County around 7:45 a.m. when a westbound Ford truck crossed double yellow lines and struck the Nissan, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Soto died at the scene. She worked as a hairstylist in the Crush Beauty Bar in Sonoma.

The CHP arrested the truck driver, Jose M. Lopez-Perez, 25, of Santa Rosa, on suspicion of DUI. He suffered major injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where he was arraigned Friday on charges including two counts each of murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and DUI causing injury, Staebell said.

The two murder counts also include an enhancement alleging great bodily injury, and the gross vehicular manslaughter charges allege Lopez-Perez was convicted of DUI in Sonoma County on May 17, 2013, Staebell
said.

Lopez-Perez remains in custody at the hospital under no bail, Staebell said.

Lopez-Perez also is charged with an infraction alleging he drove across double yellow lines, Staebell said.

A public defender was appointed and his next Sonoma County Superior Court date is Nov. 27.

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By Bay City News Service

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