Before dawn broke on a quiet Monday in October 2019, Kellie Nora Michelle was asleep in her van on Hoen Avenue in Santa Rosa — her dog curled beside her, the van their only shared refuge.
She never saw the car coming.
Traveling 90 mph in a 35 mph zone, Angel Ivan Martinez flew around a bend in the two-lane street, drunk behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger. He slammed into Michelle’s parked van with such force that it launched the vehicle into a power pole, then a tree, then another car. The wreckage sprawled across the block like shrapnel.
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“I remember it being a horrific scene,” recalled Santa Rosa police Sgt. Patricia Seffens, who arrived that morning as a patrol officer. “The debris field was so expansive.”
Michelle and her dog died instantly. She was 50 — a mother, a Sonoma County native and a Rancho Cotate High School graduate. Friends and family described her as smart and free-spirited, someone who struggled with mental health issues, addiction and bouts of homelessness. At the time, she was renting a room nearby but chose to sleep in her van so she could stay with her dog, who didn’t get along with another pet inside.
Martinez’s license was revoked. He pleaded no contest in August 2020 to felony vehicular manslaughter and DUI.
And then — four years later — the state gave his license back.
Despite killing someone, and later being arrested for driving unlicensed and giving police a false name, Martinez was issued a new California driver’s license in 2023. It’s valid through 2027.
He is not an outlier.
A system designed to restart
A monthslong investigation by The Press Democrat, in partnership with CalMatters, found that California routinely restores driver’s licenses to people convicted of killing someone behind the wheel — often while drunk, speeding or fleeing the scene.
In Sonoma County alone, at least 47 people have been charged with vehicular manslaughter since 2019, according to data compiled by The Press Democrat and CalMatters. At least three, including Martinez, were convicted of felonies, lost their licenses and are already back on the road. Others could follow soon.
It’s all legal. It’s happening quietly. And the state doesn’t track it.
California allows most drivers convicted in fatal collisions — particularly in cases involving alcohol, drugs or extreme recklessness — to reapply for a license after a revocation period that typically lasts three years. In some cases, they continue driving even before their criminal cases are resolved.
Drivers facing revocation can challenge the Department of Motor Vehicles’ decision, but they must act within days of being notified. Otherwise, they must wait out the revocation period, then reapply — passing tests, paying fees and, in some cases, completing rehabilitation courses.
By the numbers
A CalMatters analysis this spring found nearly 40% of Californians charged with vehicular manslaughter since 2019 still held valid licenses, including drivers with vehicular manslaughter convictions.
The Press Democrat took the next step — identifying drivers in the North Bay who regained driving privileges even after felony convictions.
Among them, according to DMV records:
- A Granite Bay man who killed an 8-month-old child in a multi-car crash on Lakeville Highway near Petaluma in 2018, at the age of 18.
- A Santa Rosa man convicted in 2020 for a fatal hit-and-run on Highway 12.
- A Mendocino County man convicted in a fiery crash that killed his passenger in August 2020 on Highway 101 in Ukiah.
There was no consistent pattern in convictions or license reinstatements by race, income or gender, according to an analysis of the available data.
Because the state does not track how often driver’s licenses are reinstated after fatal crashes, The Press Democrat reviewed dozens of vehicular manslaughter cases from late 2018 through early 2025 in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties. Sonoma County had by far the highest number of cases — around 50 — while the others each had about 20.
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For this story, cases were narrowed to older felony collisions that resulted in convictions, had accessible court and DMV records, and were old enough that revocation periods could have ended. A full accounting was not possible.
Out of 106 cases compiled by The Press Democrat and CalMatters, DMV records show that at least eight drivers involved in fatal crashes before 2020 have had their licenses reissued, including four in Sonoma County and two each in Napa and Mendocino counties. Some regained their licenses as early as April 2023.
What the DMV doesn’t disclose is how often it denies reinstatement or imposes permanent revocation — a step more common in vehicular murder cases. The agency did not respond to requests for that data.
Chris Orrock, a DMV spokesperson, previously told CalMatters that drivers must be given a path to regain their licenses and that the agency has no process for revoking them permanently.
‘No way to justify it’
Matthew Swoyer remembers the 2018 Lakeville Highway crash vividly.
He was driving home to Fairfield when a Volkswagen Jetta crossed into oncoming traffic outside Petaluma and struck a Ford Explorer carrying a mother, her baby and several other children. The Jetta then spun out and hit Swoyer’s car.
“I remember getting out and a bunch of people stopping. Pure chaos,” said Swoyer, now 32 and living in Dixon.
He had to crawl out through the passenger door. The baby girl was killed. Six others, including Swoyer, were hurt. Other motorists pulled over to help.
The Jetta’s driver, Ryan Deloye, faced multiple charges — vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, cellphone use, and alcohol and cannabis violations. He pleaded no contest in 2020. His license was restored in April 2023. A month later, a red-light camera caught him failing to stop in Sacramento County. DMV records did not show any other violations.
Swoyer had followed Deloye’s court case but didn’t know he’d gotten his license back.
“One hundred percent he should never be allowed to drive again,” Swoyer said. “What he was doing was absolutely outrageous. There’s no way to justify that he was just being a kid.”
Lawmakers respond
State lawmakers are now weighing changes.
Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Lori Wilson told The Press Democrat she plans to introduce legislation requiring license revocations to be consecutive — not concurrent — with jail or prison sentences. That would mean a convicted driver serves time before the clock starts on losing driving privileges.
“Part of that learning your lesson, so to speak, and being held accountable and experiencing consequences is that you should be able to drive,” Wilson said. “Every day that you want to go somewhere, you have the burden of using public transit or relying on someone willing to give you a ride.”
Wilson said she expects to introduce the bill next year. CalMatters’ reporting, she added, helped expose gaps in a policy that hasn’t been updated in years.
“It’s ineffective because it’s not being followed,” she said.
Wilson noted that manslaughter, unlike murder, is considered less malicious under the law. She said she believes some people should be allowed to earn back their licenses after meaningful rehabilitation.
“Should they pay forever for that mistake?” she said. “If they’re properly rehabilitated, they now understand the weight of that brief decision.”
The DMV does not track how often it reinstates licenses after fatal crashes. In a written statement to The Press Democrat, the department said its action are “controlled by statute,” citing state laws that require revocation for certain convictions but allow reinstatement later.
The agency also has discretion to suspend or revoke licenses after fatal collisions, but it does not report how often it uses that power.
In practice, the DMV and courts operate on separate tracks. A judge might impose jail time or probation, but the DMV’s countdown to reinstatement hinges on when it’s notified of a conviction. CalMatters recently found courts across California have often failed to report convictions to the DMV in a timely manner.
The result: a system that routinely returns licenses to drivers whose decisions once proved deadly.
The next wave
Dozens of vehicular manslaughter cases remain pending in North Bay courts. DMV records for recent convictions aren’t always updated. And defense attorneys often argue the charges don’t reflect their clients’ typical driving behavior.
In Petaluma, 79-year-old Beverly Klevin was killed Feb. 1, 2024, when another car struck her on Lakeville Highway. Her family later reached a $650,000 settlement with the city, alleging the road was unsafe.
The other driver, Samir Bhumbla, has pleaded not guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. His attorney says Bhumbla has maintained safe driving habits and still holds a valid license.
In another pending case, 75-year-old Linda Cathleen Johnson, of Sebastopol, is accused of killing Novato resident Lemuel Rodas Diaz, 53, in a suspected DUI crash in December 2023 near Roblar and Stony Point roads. Johnson suffered serious injuries. Her attorney says she voluntarily surrendered her license and hasn’t driven since.
And in Napa, 31-year-old resident Yesica Barajas is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter in the March 16 crash that killed her children, 10-year-old Damian and 9-year-old Aaliyah. Her attorney sought her release pending trial, but a judge denied it.
More drivers in these cases could someday reapply for licenses under current state rules.
A flashpoint for reform?
Advocates remain divided.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving told The Press Democrat that drivers who kill while impaired should face far steeper penalties, including lifetime revocation.
“If a person adjudicated for a fatal impaired driving crash is found guilty, that offender should face a significant, if not lifetime, license revocation after they are released from incarceration,” the group said.
Others argue license restoration offers a path back to society, especially when a fatal crash results a moment of negligence rather than a pattern of reckless behavior.
Still, even after convictions, some drivers continue breaking the rules of the road — in ways both brazen, like driving without a license, and mundane, like rolling through a stop.
In Mendocino County, for example, Kyle Pinckney pleaded no contest in April 2023 to charges from a 2021 Fort Bragg crash that killed his passenger. Months later, he was cited for driving without a valid license. DMV records show he was issued a new license in April 2024, valid through 2029.
Back on Hoen Avenue in Santa Rosa, traffic still hums past the curve just before Cypress Way — the same stretch where Kellie Michelle’s life ended before the sun came up.
The speed limit sign still reads 35 mph.
And Angel Ivan Martinez is driving again.
You can reach Press Democrat Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi.
How The Press Democrat reported this story
This story is the result of a monthslong investigation by The Press Democrat in partnership with CalMatters. Reporter Colin Atagi reviewed more than 100 fatal crash cases across Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties dating back to late 2018.
Atagi reviewed court records, DMV data and Press Democrat archives to identify drivers who faced criminal charges — and in many cases, regained their licenses.
The dataset was narrowed to cases with accessible documentation, completed convictions and enough time passed to assess whether license reinstatement had occurred.
The Press Democrat also sought comment from crash survivors, victims’ families, defense attorneys, prosecutors, state officials and advocates. Some declined to comment or did not respond.
The California DMV does not track how often it reinstates licenses after fatal crashes. Agencies cited in this story were contacted for clarification and comment.
