Tourist who killed Peninsula elderly couple gets 2 months in jail

LA HONDA, Calif. - An Australian tourist was sentenced to two months in jail and probation after a fatal crash on the Peninsula that killed an elderly couple last year, according to the district attorney.

Luke Nardini, 32, entered a no-contest plea to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for the Sept. 1, 2023, crash that killed Jack and Linda Davis, both 80 years old, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office said.

Nardini received a two-month jail sentence and probation.

Authorities said Nardini was driving a BMW on the wrong side of Highway 84 in La Honda when he struck a Ford Taurus carrying four people. The couple, seated in the back, were killed, and the two people in the front were injured.

Early in the investigation, prosecutors said Nardini, accustomed to Australian traffic lanes that are opposite of those in the U.S., forgot where he was and drove on the wrong side of the road.

There had been earlier reports identifying Nardini as an Australian race car driver. However, Nardini's family clarified through his attorney that he does not drive professionally; instead, he works in the "motor vehicle field" as a mechanic and electrician.