Dominic Carvalho, a 44-year-old Yountville resident, pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of 81-year-old Jackie Rhodes. The incident occurred on August 4, 2024, on Highway 29 near Charles Krug Winery.
Carvalho, who was under the influence of methamphetamine and fentanyl, struck Rhodes while she was walking. He fled the scene but was apprehended on August 7 with the assistance of automated license plate readers and surveillance footage. Rhodes was found shortly after the incident and died later at Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center.
Carvalho faces up to eight years in prison at his sentencing on June 4. Prosecutors dropped additional charges including DUI and hit-and-run causing injury or death as part of the plea agreement.
Rhodes was remembered by community members as a kind and familiar figure in St. Helena. A bench was dedicated in her memory at a Vine Transit stop, highlighting her frequent use of public transportation and her positive impact on the community.
The case highlighted the collaborative efforts of local law enforcement and the significance of community involvement in the pursuit of justice. The incident also underscored concerns about pedestrian safety and the importance of initiatives aimed at reducing traffic fatalities.
The plea comes months after investigators used license plate readers and surveillance footage to track down the driver.
A Yountville man is expected to be sentenced next month after pleading no contest in a hit-and-run crash that killed an 81-year-old woman walking along Highway 29 last summer.
Dominic Carvalho entered the plea Tuesday to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in the Aug. 4, 2024, collision that killed Jackie Rhodes. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI causing injury, and hit-and-run causing injury or death, along with related enhancements, according to Napa County Superior Court records.
Carvalho, 44, faces up to eight years in prison when he’s sentenced June 4 by Judge Mark Boessenecker.
Investigators said Carvalho was under the influence of methamphetamine and fentanyl when he struck Rhodes as she walked east along the highway near Charles Krug Winery. She was headed to a local thrift store when a Chevrolet pickup truck hit her and drove off, according to a statement Thursday from the city of St. Helena.
Two pedestrians found Rhodes in a roadside ditch shortly after 10:20 a.m. She was conscious and alert at the time but later died at Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa.
St. Helena police arrested Carvalho on Aug. 7, aided by automated license plate readers and surveillance footage from local businesses. Officers credited the quick arrest to coordination with nearby law enforcement and the public.
“This case highlights the power of community and inter-agency collaboration in the pursuit of justice,” St. Helena Police Chief Chris Hartley said. “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Ms. Rhodes.”
Rhodes was remembered as a gentle soul and a familiar figure in her St. Helena neighborhood — an avid walker whose presence became part of the local rhythm. Her daily routines, especially her rides on Vine Transit, left an impression on bus drivers, fellow riders and residents alike.
On April 4, nearly eight months after she was struck and killed, the Napa Valley Transportation Authority honored her memory with a bench dedication at a Vine Transit stop north of St. Helena — one she often used. About 20 people gathered for the ceremony, including public officials and local first responders.
Anna Chouteau, a former St. Helena City Council member and field representative for U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, said it was St. Helena police Sgt. Steve Peterson — the first to arrive after Rhodes was hit — who suggested the bench in her honor. Chouteau noted that Rhodes had been a constant presence in the community for decades.
She had seen Rhodes walking around St. Helena for 30 years.
“She was an avid Vine Transit rider, well known and appreciated by bus drivers and other transit riders,” Chouteau said. “They described her as gentle and dignified. She made friends easily and earned the respect of many.”
Mark Joseph, a transportation authority board member and American Canyon City Council member, said Rhodes’ death was a painful reminder of the dangers pedestrians face. He noted that nearly all such deaths are preventable — and that the 8-mile Vine Trail segment between St. Helena and Calistoga, where the bench is located, is a step toward safer travel.
“I don’t want her death to be in vain,” Joseph said.
St. Helena Mayor Paul Dohring, also a transportation authority board member, said he often saw Rhodes walking past his home, carrying herself with quiet determination. Her death, he said, rippled through the community and underscored the urgency of safety measures like those in the agency’s Vision Zero initiative — to reduce fatal and severe road crashes on the county’s roads.
“I look forward to the day when those projects and programs are implemented so we can eliminate pedestrian tragedies on our roads and highways,” Dohring said.
You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi
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