Leonardo Rodriguez Sentenced for 2024 Highway 101 Crash That Killed Two

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Leonardo Rodriguez of Pico Rivera was sentenced to five years and four months in state prison after an early morning, high-speed crash on Highway 101 in 2024 resulted in the deaths of Serenity Rizkalla and Michael Estrella.

Rodriguez pled guilty to two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter on June 25 of this year noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

On Oct. 31, 2024, around 5:26 a.m., Rodriguez was driving a black Honda Accord southbound on Highway 101, north of Wendy Drive, around 124 miles per hour when he attempted to pass a vehicle in the slow lane by using the shoulder explained local prosecutors.

A tractor-trailer was parked on the same shoulder at the time and the front passenger side of the Honda Accord collided with the rear left section of the stopped tractor-trailer stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Rodriguez's girlfriend, Serenity Rizkalla, was seated in the front passenger seat of the Honda Accord and Rodriguez's friend, Michael Estrella, was seated in the right rear passenger at the time of the collision and both passengers were ejected from the vehicle by the impact shared the local prosecutor's office.

Both ejected passengers were declared dead at the scene and a third passenger, seated behind Rodriguez, survived the collision and was treated for minor injuries noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Rodriguez sustained minor injuries as a result of the crash added local prosecutors.

According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, the collision was captured on a nearby dashboard camera and there was no evidence that alcohol nor drugs contributed to the fatal incident.