PALMDALE – A head-on collision between a car and a pickup truck in Palmdale left a young man dead and a suspected drunken driver in custody facing a possible murder charge, authorities said.
Eighteen-year-old Daniel Colato of Palmdale died at the scene of the crash, which occurred around 11:40 p.m. Monday, June 15, on 30th Street East near East Avenue Q in Palmdale, according to a California Highway Patrol report.
Daniel Colato was driving a 2004 Honda Accord southbound on 30th Street East when a northbound 2005 Ford F-350 pickup truck allegedly crossed into the southbound lane of 30th Street East, “causing a head-on collision between the vehicles,” the CHP report states.
Daniel Colato was fatally injured, and his passenger, 22-year-old Kayla Colato of Palmdale, was taken to a hospital for treatment of major injuries, the CHP report states.
The pickup truck’s driver, 36-year-old Galo Nelson Campana of Palmdale, was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the CHP report.
Campana, who sustained minor injuries, was booked at the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station on suspicion of murder and held on $1 million bail, the CHP reported.
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sandra says
Typical..make more laws..more punishment. How about teaching moral values. This family has suffered an unimaginable loss. This community should be supporting the family. More laws and stiffer punishmentt will not fix any problem. Like it or not things like this happen. You cant fix it. My brother was hit by a drunk driver. Alcohol should be illegal and pot should be legal. I have never heard of someone who was stoned getting violent or mowing people down with there car. Not to mention the affects that alcohol has on the body.. sadly as long as alcohol is legal this will keep happening.
Tim Scott says
Something to consider…pot being illegal does limit consumption in public gathering places, like bars. If alcohol were illegal it would be more likely to be consumed at home, so there would be less problems with drunk drivers. But if pot were as legal as alcohol is there would be places where people would gather and get high and then drive home, so there would be more problems from that.
nemo says
sad but just like everything it will never go away ….every year we see people break the laws in vehicles and although it wasn’t intentional he was committing a crime while behind the wheel and should be prosecuted for man slaughter …..tell me why the person who crossed over a double yellow carpool line and creamed my friend on a motorcycle received a simple citation???? When in a vehicle and break the law and you kill someone it should be one and the same …..just my thoughts
Cyndi says
Alcohol is not only available at bars. I was rear ended by a drunk driver April 2. I had reported him to 911 drunk on the freeway 20 miles before he ended up rear-ended me, he never even stepped on the brakes. When they tested him he blew almost 3 times the legal limit, he both urinated and defecated in the back of the police car on the way to the station and was out within 12 hours. I’m guessing he wasn’t even sober by the time he bailed out. Due to the insurance paperwork that he showed it was likely not his first offense. The insurance started in November by April he’d already stopped paying for it. He’s not legally licensed to drive. He was actively drinking beer while driving and even continue to drink after he had rear-ended me. Instead of getting catty and trying to embarrass people for looking different, dressing different or being different why don’t we start shaming the people who are actually causing real problems. Family and friends of people who are caught driving under the influence need to give them hell on a regular basis and make sure they do not repeat the offense. People should not be given sympathy for making the kind of mistakes that affect\kill other people.
Lou says
: You are right Cyndi, but you are actually too nice for not also posting his name here, there should be a web site where their names and pictures should be posted to shame the irresponsible a**holes, with the hope that they might rethink their stupid decisions.
mslzr says
Great efforts are being made to raise funds for Daniel’s funeral and Kayla’s medical bills.
Linked below is the website used to make a donation towards the Colato family’s cause. Anything helps out! Whether it is a monetary donation, or even just simply sharing the link! A huge thank you in advance, on behalf of the Colato family and friends.
http://YouCaring.com/DanielColato
Igor says
Im very sorry to hear this and feel bad for all of the friends and family of the victims.But I can’t help but think if the drunk driver was of a different race than the victim then everybody’s racist tendencies would be coming out and somehow trying to use this accident to prove that one culture is inferior than an other.
Greg says
Yes, it is nice to see actual conversation about possible ways to solve the problem!
John says
Alcohol kills more people then guns yet it’s legal and you can find a bar on every corner.
It’s a crazy World
Mac says
John..so very, very true.
RyanP says
This is a horrible yet somewhat common accident these days. Some very good points. If you really look at this, The average bar stays in business by serving drinks, if you go in a bar your going to average 1-2 hard drinks or 3 plus beers in a hour. Pure fact. So how many bars are in the AV? How many in the State? Basically in a odd way no different than a pusher but the pusher pays taxes and the money made is somewhat put back into the structure of a city. What can be done? Go to a bar look around, its not full of old bums its your neighbor your fellow worker your family member. What do we do? How can you stop all this? No good answer unless you stop at the source, its the same with legal drugs, How many would go for the local legal Medical MJ store to have a patio or big screens and then watch its patrons drive away after a “Few”. So we change nothing or everything. Sure a lot of folks sitting at Schooners, Maxdons, Rubins etc, How do you really think 99% of people travel to these bars, Not by Taxi. Wake up if you drink drink at home, close down all the bars pull all the liquor licenses. I DONT THINK SO.
Tim Scott says
Safe to guess that a car parked at a bar isn’t owned by someone who plans on walking home.
Hmmmm says
I like the “murder” charges in dui crashes…even if they dont stick… But i vote for any drunk driving to then be classified as an attempted murder… Even if charges are dropped to lesser crimes the arrest stays on record… And in background checks
Tim Scott says
If it is felony dui and someone died in the course of the crime I don’t see why the charges wouldn’t stick, but I’d guess most people plead it down to a manslaughter charge rather than go through the fight.
dumbandbglind says
I wonder why sobriety checkpoints aren’t located by the bars in the first place.
Greg says
Drunk drivers, after serving their jail time, should be mandated that they have to purchase a self driving car, and that is the only car they are allowed to ‘drive’. If caught driving any other vehicle they should get more jail time.
Tim Scott says
Interesting approach.
AFAIK the only states that have made such “auto-pilot” cars legal for use have required that they be monitored by a licensed driver with the ability to take over at need…much like aircraft, which have had auto-pilot capability for decades. If the potential “take over” driver isn’t allowed to drive that makes it hard to say there is compliance.
Once the self driving cars reach the point where they are actually allowed to run on their own this could have some merit though. I’m all for making it possible to get around without absolutely having to have a license, which would make any sort of license revocation more workable. Possibly the self driving car approach will contribute to this…someday.
William says
Be wary of new Mercedes drivers. Their commercials show guys falling asleep and the lane departure feature takes over, or the brakes engage when the driver doesn’t and so on.
You just know that a drunk or sleepy driver will take advantage of such features, so those cars should have flashing warning lights to alert other drivers to give plenty of space to them. LOL
Irena says
Thee are circumstances where a person who has had a DUI has to have an interlock device installed. A driver would need to breath into it to confirm that the driver isn’t drunk.
Greg says
Very true, but those have been removed by the drivers in some cases and they may not get checked until the next collision or arrest.
Jason says
They also have people who haven’t been drinking blow into them as well. Not exactly a fool proof say to keep someone from driving drunk repeatedly
Jason says
They also have people who haven’t been drinking blow into them as well. Not exactly a fool proof say to keep someone from driving drunk repeatedly
Mom of 4 Boys says
This is really heartbreaking. He’s the same age as my 3rd son that graduated from PHS last year..
My prayers go out to his family and friends. This young man wasn’t even able to start living his life.
Rest In Paradise Daniel..
juan says
ive known him since we were kids. experienced 3 graduations with him. i live across the street from him. im here with his family. yeah drunk driving is bad . of course . but whats important is that we have him in our prayers. he was a good guy, the best friend you would want. always there for you. ” yeah man” if anyone knows him , you know he said that a lot. i loved him , man. he was such a good friend. i still cant believe it
Tim Scott says
Sorry for your loss. I’m sure the family appreciates you standing with them in this hard time. Well done.
Megan says
RIP Daniel. Hate with all my heart that things have to happen to young adults that still have so much life to live. My condolences to the family. Drinking and driving is never okay. Stop.
adan says
^•^
F**kDrunkDrivers says
Hey how about we all agree that drunk driving sucks and you shouldn’t do it.
I swear you AV folks never fail to argue when the point of his article is a young man was killed by a preventable cause.
He had many years left on such a young life and his family and friends must suffer greatly from this consequence.
And as for the young girl in the car, many condolences to her to have witnessed and been apart of this terrible tragedy.
Me says
People…. Please…. Just pray, pray, pray for the family! Honestly, that IS the most important thing right now. A horrible and devastating loss, and they need all the thoughts and prayers and support that they can receive from this community. Help them! Don’t try to solve and argue what is right or wrong… Sadly, what’s done is done… Help shoulder the loss they have been given and pray for their daughter who is fighting…. Thank you and God Bless…
Bracelette says
Let’s remember to pray for Kayla who sustained major injuries. Her family and friends are at the hospital now, so let’s pray for them as well. This is terribly difficult for them. May they hear comforting words, have hope, and find peace.
Annon says
This is so devastating…. even more so when one of our young local youth is an innocent victim. PLEASE STOP THE DRINKING AND DRIVING…
cshyflamingo says
Drivers who drink, meet or exceed the limits of the law and drive causing an accident that kills or severely injures innocent parties should do mandatory life in prison, no release, period. They made their choice when they got behind the wheel.
Tim Scott says
So if they “made their choice when they got behind the wheel” why should we only imprison them for life if they happen to kill someone? Surely someone who made the exact same “choice” but got lucky and made it home deserves the same punishment, right?
Ever driven when you shouldn’t have?
I have, but I was always lucky. Should I go turn myself in? Even though I’ve been sober for over twenty years?
Should everyone who has ever driven when they shouldn’t go turn themselves in?
What about people who have driven when they are really tired and fallen asleep at the wheel? I’ve never fallen asleep, but I’ve certainly pushed that envelope as well.
M. says
Driving while under the influence may not always result in death, but the chances are so much higher. Every single one of us whom has ever “mistakenly” drank and driven, chose to put the lives of others at risk. There’s no other way around it, whether we’ve gotten “lucky” so to speak, or gotten caught; it’s clear cut….it’s either attempted murder, or sadly, it’s murder. It’s easy to say that a lifetime in prison would be unfair, but how would you feel if you were the victims parent?
Choosing to get drunk and drive is different than driving tired in many facets, not just in the sense that statistically; more people die from accidents with drunk drivers, than from falling asleep at the wheel.
You speak as though you are a guilty party, and in some sense are trying to justify your own actions. I would never want to be the family of this young man, and read this article, and see your comment. When the shoe is on the other foot, our opinions change rather rapidly.
Perhaps everyone that has driven drunk, should turn themselves in. If 4 out of 5 people drive drunk, and only one claims a victim, do the other 4 go home and think “whew, glad I didn’t kill that kid”?. How many people make it home when driving drunk, and feel so guilty for ever having driven drunk that they vow to never do it again and actually don’t? congrats, you used to drive drunk and never killed anyone. I guess by your logic, people that used to commit crimes, don’t need to turn themselves in, because it was the past.
Every drunk driver getting life in prison may not be realistic in the long haul, but it sure makes more sense then you combating a perfectly reasonable response to a young man being murdered.
Tim Scott says
I don’t consider it a reasonable response. I put it more in the “knee jerk over reaction” category. Like most such reactions I think it is off target since the guy who has killed someone is probably the LEAST likely to drive impaired in the future.
As to me being a “guilty party”, I pretty much said that. I did what I did…which was drink and drive. Was I ever over the arbitrarily set “legal limit”? Beats me, as I never got tested. Did I ever run into or over anyone with my car, drunk, sober or in between? Thankfully, no. (well, one time a guy pulled out in front of me in Vegas for a minor fender bender, but that stays in Vegas, yes?).
For “justifying my own actions” I have no need. What’s done is done. I may learn from it, but I don’t really do much justifying because I don’t really care about being judged one way or the other.
So back at reasonable ways to reduce the incidence of drunk or otherwise impaired driving. Why do people take these risks? What can we do to help people recognize the danger they are presenting to others as well as themselves?
I always believed that even slightly impaired I was a “very good driver”. After forty years of operating cars, plus lots of experience operating other technical devices (off road vehicles, nuclear reactors, remote manipulators), with a very good record of success I might have a leg to stand on, but at the time it was absolute bravado. What could have gotten through to me? If I knew I would suggest it.
I h8 drunk drivers says
Yes, You should turn yourself in cause you’re a disgrace of a freaking person if you chose to get in a car and drive while you were drunk. People like you deserve to be punished cause even though you “got away with it” you still were putting people in danger because of your dumb decisions. That also goes for people who fall asleep on the wheel too. Cause it’s just as dangerous and they should know to rest before driving or not driving at all. Don’t try and excuse yourself for something dumb you’ve done because you haven’t killed anyone or hurt anyone yet. You should really turn yourself in for being an idiot. A teenagers life was taken for someone thinking like you.
Tim Scott says
I assume from this you have never done anything that endangered another person in your entire life? What are you? Twelve? Or are you also a “disgrace of a freaking person”? Get off your high horse and you’ll be much more effective.
My actual point was that life in prison applied on a pretty much random basis across drunk drivers is not likely to be an effective deterrent. The drunk driver that makes it home is the one who is far more likely to do it again than the one who gets in an accident, so that’s the one you need to worry about.
Confused says
Tim
I applaud the honesty and I also don’t drink but used to and did drive intoxicated. I think current laws are harsh enough. These tragedies are very preventable, but not by giving people the death penalty on their first dui.
Tyler says
You know if you intend to cuss when saying words like freaking then its just as bad. Pastor Chapel is reading this and he’s going to be horribly disappointed in you. All that judgment and put downs and strife… Tsk tsk..
Cali Palmdale says
Tim Scott there you go again the EX-CON Defender well first off if you did drive totally wasted i think you should feel guilty theres is a diffrence between drinking one beer and driving than drinking over six beers and driving how many DUI do you have on your record only you know. And what if that was your son who got killed by that irresponsible person i think he should be punished with the max sentence there is just like all the other criminals around that you defend so much the driver here made a bad choice so he should pay.
Tim Scott says
Other than making claims you know nothing about is there a point to this post?
I already said I have no information because I never got tested. Having never been tested it’s a pretty safe assumption that anyone with a brain could make that I don’t have any DUIs on my record. But I certainly understand why I had to spell that out for you.
Fulmenjacio says
Why is this about you and your history with alcohol? Nobody gives a [removed]about your prior/current dependence, or lack there of, with alcohol. The previous comment you were replying to, related directly to, “Drivers who drink, meet or exceed the limits of the law and drive causing an accident that kills or severely injures innocent parties.” I believe the author meant to speak of an individual who causes injury or death while driving under the influence of alcohol. Not every person who has driven while sleepy or has, as you put it, “Been lucky.”
Don’t attempt to justify your lack of personal responsibility and inability to consider the safety of others by arguing that all DUI drivers should be imprisoned for life, when that was not what the original comment stated.
Confused says
Fulm.
Reading is hard. Tim is responding to posts that argue driving while intoxicated but not getting in a wreck or hurting anyone should be attempted murder. He’s pointing out the ridiculous and often hypocritical aspects of that claim. Read. Then respond.
AV says
It looks like Tim will always defend all criminals killer rapist you name it. I think he has some bad rap sheet hanging who know Jail or something but hope nothing happens to any of his family until then he might change his mind. He thinks all killers need or have more rights than the average hard working tax paying citizen.
Tim Scott says
AV…care to provide any basis for the wild accusations you make? Not that it matters to me, but just in case you would like to have the least shred of credibility or dignity it might be an idea.
WTF? says
Confused…In TimScott’s original reply to cshyflamingo he wasn’t. The original post he responded to stated, “Drivers who drink, meet or exceed the limits of the law and drive causing an accident that kills or severely injures innocent parties.” The author was referring to a situation in which the criteria of being under the influence and injuring/killing others has been met. It appears we both agree reading IS hard for you.
Confused says
Wtf
Look even further up where the person days tim is making this all about him and anyone that had ever driven drunk should turn themselves in. M clearly states that ideally every drunk driver should do life in prison. READ.
Jimmy says
Daniel was such a sweet guy when I would see him at shows or going to Denny’s or hanging with friends. I appreciate his memory and I hope to see justice served to this individual responsible for this.
I love you Daniel! I hope you’re at peace up there!!