Motorist, 30, Pleads Not Guilty In March Rear-End Crash That Killed Music Teacher, Her Mother-In-Law

A Rohnert Park man pleaded not guilty in Sonoma County Superior Court today to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in connection with a rear-end collision that killed two women in March.

Nicholas Tognozzi, 30, is being held in county jail under $250,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26.

One of the vehicular manslaughter charges has an enhancement of inflicting great bodily injury on an elder victim.

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Tognozzi was driving a 2005 GMC Sierra truck at about 55 to 65 mph east on state Highway 12 around 5:20 p.m. on March 15 when he looked up after checking his phone and noticed traffic ahead of him had stopped, California Highway Patrol Officer Kerri Post said at the time of the collision.

The truck struck the rear of a 2001 Toyota Camry about 850 feet west of Farmers Lane, pushing the Camry into the rear of a 2005 Suzuki Aerio. All of the vehicles were in the same lane, Post said.

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Tognozzi told CHP investigators that he could not stop in time, Post said.

The back seat passengers in the Camry, Susan Hufford, 53, and Sharon Hufford, 74, both of Santa Rosa, died instantly, CHP officials said.

The front seat passenger, Donald Hufford, 74, of Santa Rosa, suffered major injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The Camry's driver, Jay Randolph Hufford, 54, of Santa Rosa suffered a head laceration. Susan Hufford, a music teacher in the Mark West Union School District, was Jay Hufford's wife.

Sharon Hufford was Jay Hufford's mother and Donald Hufford is his father.

Defense attorney Matthew Freeman said a "black box" in Tognozzi's GMC Sierra showed Tognozzi wasn't driving faster than 53 mph, and that there were no texts or calls on Tognozzi's phone at the time of the crash.

Tognozzi said he glanced down at the center console where his phone was, Freeman said.

Freeman said a sample of Tognozzi's blood was not taken, but a urine test was taken to determine possible marijuana use.

Prosecutors said the results of the test are pending.

"It's almost impossible to tell when he smoked. He said he smoked the day before," Freeman said.

CHP officials said they believe Tognozzi was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the collision.

Prosecutors have not yet charged Tognozzi with being under the influence of a drug or alcohol.

Tognozzi's other attorney, Kevin McConnell, said the prosecution's gross negligence allegation appears to stem from Tognozzi looking down at his phone moments before the crash.

--Bay City News