Napa Father Charged With Murder After DUI Crash Kills Son

Aaron Brian Kennedy, 35, of Angwin, has been charged with murder and multiple felony offenses following a suspected DUI crash that killed his 10-year-old son, Aiden, in Napa County. Kennedy allegedly drove under the influence, with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit, when he crossed a double yellow line and collided head-on with another vehicle on Chiles Pope Valley Road near St. Helena, resulting in fatal injuries to his son and minor injuries to the other driver. The charges include murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, child abuse, and several DUI-related offenses, reflecting prosecutorial concerns about escalating criminal behavior and aggravated circumstances such as the presence of a vulnerable victim and Kennedy's position of trust. Kennedy, who has two prior DUI convictions, remains hospitalized and will be held without bail upon release. This case follows a recent similar incident in Napa County involving a mother charged with murder after a DUI crash killed her two children, highlighting ongoing legal efforts to pursue murder charges in fatal DUI collisions. Prosecutors emphasize the serious nature of these cases and the aggravating factors that justify pursuing the highest charges available under California law.