SAN MATEO COUNTY – A 32-year-old Australian tourist will serve two months in county jail for a fatal wrong-way crash last year near La Honda, prosecutors said.
The sentence follows Luke Nardini’s no-contest plea in September to two counts of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
Nardini is scheduled to begin serving his sentence Friday. In addition to the jail term, he must serve one year of supervised probation, perform 10 hours of community service and deliver multiple presentations about the impacts of the deadly collision.
Nardini will also have to pay restitution. The amount will be determined at a later date.
The crash happened on Sept. 1, 2023, on Highway 84. Nardini was driving eastbound when he encountered a lane closure and merged into the westbound lane.
The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said Nardini forgot to move back to the right side of the road, noting that motorists drive on the left side of the road in Australia.
While rounding a blind curve on the highway, Nardini collided head-on with a car traveling in the other direction. La Honda residents Linda and Jack Davis, both 80, died in the crash.
Nardini initially faced up to a year in county jail. But after hearing the facts of the case, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Jackson set the maximum at nine months, according to prosecutors.
Nardini, who has 10 days credit for time served, ended up receiving a 60-day sentence.