A Redwood City woman who pleaded no contest to a drunk-driving charge tied to a 2023 Interstate 580 crash that killed a 22-year-old man is expected to receive a six-year state prison term when she is sentenced on Friday. The plea brings to a close a case that began after a late-night collision on westbound I-580 between Castro Valley and Dublin in August 2023.
Plea deal and what’s at stake
Prosecutors say Raynisha Williams, a Redwood City resident, pleaded no contest to drunk driving causing injury and agreed to a six-year prison term as part of a negotiated deal, according to The Mercury News. Court records indicate a vehicular-manslaughter count was dropped in exchange for the plea, trimming the potential prison exposure while still sending the case to state prison if the judge signs off.
How the crash unfolded
The collision happened shortly after 2:30 AM on Aug. 27, 2023, when a Chevrolet Trailblazer veered onto the right shoulder of westbound I-580 near Eden Canyon Road and struck a Ford E-Transit van and its driver, 22-year-old Mario Nunez. Nunez was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to Pleasanton Weekly, which cited the coroner and California Highway Patrol.
Court timeline and evidence
Local reporting and court filings indicate Williams was hospitalized with serious injuries after the crash and, once charged in 2024, remained out of custody until she changed her plea on March 5. At that hearing, she was remanded and has been in custody since. Police records referenced in the case file list two blood-alcohol tests with conflicting results, one just under the legal limit and another just above, details prosecutors relied on while working out the plea agreement, per The Mercury News.
Legal implications…