The driver suspected in the hit-and-run death of longtime Sonoma restaurateur Zino Mezoui turned himself in Wednesday to face felony vehicular manslaughter and other charges.
Walter Nightingale, 30, is in Lake County Jail with a bail of $50,000.
During his arraignment Friday, authorities disclosed that Nightingale was driving without a valid license and was on DUI probation at the time of the Sept 24 crash.
Mezoui, 57, was killed that morning while riding his motorcycle near Kelseyville. He was traveling southbound on Highway 29 when a blue 1993 Chevrolet Suburban entered the highway, directly into his path, from Seigler Canyon Road.
The motorcycle struck the vehicle’s side door, according to the CHP report. Mezoui was flown by air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The Suburban fled the scene. The CHP located the vehicle later that day, but had to determine who was driving it at the time of the crash.
The subject of an extensive manhunt, Nightingale turned himself in five days later.
Although he and his wife Jan relocated to Clear Lake in 2006, Zino is well remembered as the smiling face behind Zino’s on the Plaza, which he ran for 25 years.
The charming, ever-smiling chef and host, known to all simply as Zino, was a popular and engaging Sonoma figure. He was born in France, a third generation chef and restaurant owner.
His so-called retirement from the hospitality field did not last long. Missing the excitement for the business, he opened Zino’s Ristorante and Inn, in Kelseyville.
Be First to Comment