Vehicular manslaughter, other charges filed in hit-and-run death of 86-year-old Concord man

CONCORD — A 19-year-old man has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in a DUI-related hit-and-run collision Thanksgiving evening that killed an 86-year-old man and sent his wife to a hospital, according to authorities and court records.

The suspect, Damian Lopez-Avelino of Concord, is also charged with driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury, hit-and run with injury, and leaving the scene of an accident, according to court records. All of the charges are felonies.

Lopez-Avelino is also charged with a misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license.

He was formally charged Tuesday and was being held without bail at the Martinez Detention Center.

The charges stem from the Nov. 23 death of Thomas O’connell, a Concord resident.

Concord police Sgt. Shawn Phalen said Lopez-Avelino was driving a Ford Fusion northbound on Oak Grove Road when he was initially involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle near Treat Boulevard. The suspect’s car continued driving on Oak Grove Road before becoming involved in another head-on collision about a block away, near Ryan Road.

The second collision involved a Toyota Camry that contained O’connell, who was a passenger, and his wife, who was driving, authorities said.

Both O’connell and his wife were taken to a hospital, where he later died. It was not immediately known if the wife is still hospitalized as of Wednesday.

Lopez-Avelino fled the crash scene but was later arrested in the area, Phalen said.

No other injuries were reported.

Police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to call Concord police Motor Officer Oscar Rodriguez at 925-671-5065.