Prosecutors file murder charges against Sacramento County man in crash that killed 4
Nevada County prosecutors filed murder charges against a Sacramento County man accused of driving drunk in a crash that killed four members of a North Highlands family on their way to a Thanksgiving vacation.
Antonio Montano and Brittney Montano, both 29, died in the Nov. 20 crash, along with their 9-year-old daughter Marianna and their 5-year-old son Antonio, authorities and their family have said. The Montanos’ youngest child, a toddler named Julian, was the only survivor of the crash. He was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Michael Scott Kelley, 32, of Antelope, was driving a Jeep heading the wrong way on Interstate 80 that struck the Montanos’ Honda Civic, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The early morning crash occurred in the eastbound lanes of I-80 near Eagle Lakes Road in Nevada County. The CHP investigation determined Kelley “was the cause of the collision and that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time,” the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday in a Facebook post.
“The gravity of this tragedy is hard to grasp. Our thoughts are with those whose lives were lost as well as the surviving family and friends of the victims,” Nevada County District Attorney Jesse Wilson wrote in the Facebook post. “Our focus is to prosecute this case in accordance with justice and provide support to the victims’ family.”
The District Attorney’s Office on Nov. 22 filed a criminal complaint against Kelley, charging him with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Prosecutors on Monday filed an amended complaint, charging Kelley with four counts of murder and one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to Nevada Superior Court records.
Officer Robert Schmidt, a spokesman for the CHP Gold Run Area Office, has said Kelley is expected to remain hospitalized for an extended period of time due to major injuries he suffered in the crash.
Court records did not have a scheduled date for Kelley’s first appearance to face these criminal charges.
Placer Superior Court records show Kelley was convicted of misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence in Roseville in 2019, for which he was sentenced to three years of probation.
Burglary at family home
The Montanos were on their way to a Thanksgiving vacation at the Grand Canyon early that morning when their car was struck head-on by the Jeep heading the wrong way on I-80 near Yuba Gap.
At some point after the deadly crash, the family’s home in North Highlands was burglarized, said Anthony Gonzalez, Brittney Montano’s brother. Gonzalez created a Gofundme online fundraiser to help the family with medical treatment for Julian and funeral costs for the rest of his family.
“Julian’s family home did get broken into, which is being investigated but we were able to retrieve his favorite toys and clothes,” Gonzalez wrote in an update posted Tuesday on the Gofundme page. “Julian is recovering wonderfully and is such a strong little boy.”
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the home burglary.
Chelsea Monahan, the Montano family’s attorney, told The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday there was an “alleged break-in” at the family’s home that was being investigated. But she declined to discuss the break-in any further, saying she did not want to interfere with the investigation.
Monahan said the Montano family wanted to thank the surrounding community in Sacramento County for showing a “tremendous outpouring of love and support” through their Gofundme donations. She said the money will be put to great use in Julian’s ongoing medical treatment for severe injuries and the funeral costs for the four family members.
A few days after the crash, Gonzalez said Julian had been released from the hospital and was home recuperating with his aunt, uncle and cousins.
“We have a long road of recovery but are so grateful to be home for Thanksgiving,” Gonzalez wrote in a Nov. 25 update on the Gofundme page. “We are blown away at the continued generosity of those interested in helping us lay our family to rest and provide for Julian.”
