(UPDATED ON 7/5/20, please read entire petition for accurate information)

This petition is in support of Nadya Simone Unger, of Camarillo, California. Nadya was killed in a senseless, motorcycle collision on Thursday, April 21, 2016, just two days after her 23rd birthday. Nadya was the passenger on the back of a motorcycle when the operator of the motorcycle, Garrett Vongunten, failed to bring the motorcycle to a stop during a train crossing at an intersection in Camarillo, California. Nadya died at the scene and CHP began an investigation due to suspicion that the operator was under the influence of drugs during the incident. The operator of the motorcycle was reported to have been arrested for a DUI - drugs. As Nadya's younger sister, it is deeply painful for me to deal with the possibility that my sister's death was due to the incompetence of another, and that our justice system is not acting to give justice to my sister and our family. 

My family is left mourning a preventable death while no one is held accountable. Our lives have changed indefinitely and there is a void no one can fill. Please, my family and I feel so helpless. Most of all I feel hurt that our justice system is failing to do it's job concerning the loss of a life. 

It has been over four years now since Nadya’s senseless death and we still do not have a conviction. The man responsible for her death, Garrett Vongunten, waived his right to a speedy trial and continued each hearing for four years (and continues to). While doing so, he has asked three different judges, on three separate occasions, for probation and they have all denied that request. The first judge was even prepared to offer him a lenient probation deal but on decision day the judge revoked the offer after reading Vongunten’s probation report.

To make matters worse, the District Attorney, Greggory Totten, chose to not charge Vongunten for DUI, because the office felt they wouldn’t win the case if they did. This meeting ended with my mother swearing out the ADA that was assisting us. Vongunten drove the motorcycle INTO THE SIDE OF A MOVING TRAIN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT WITH MULTIPLE WITNESSES AND HIS BLOOD CAME BACK AND TESTED POSITIVE FOR METABOLIZED COCAINE. Anyone with common sense, just by reading that sentence, must feel that at least he should be charged with DUI and a jury of his peers or a judge should decide if he is guilty of that charge. The district attorney decided that a checkmark on their “won that case” tally was more important than justice for my sister, Nadya. 

To be perfectly honest, I had lost hope. I gave up. I felt helpless to my sister’s cause because no matter how often I talked with the DA or tried to bring attention to her case, nothing would come from it. But that has changed after sharing my sister’s story on the well known social media platform, Tiktok. I have one video that has over 300,000 views and over 40,000 likes. The flooding in of support for my sister’s story has rejuvenated hope in me. 

I AM NOW ASKING OF NADYA’S SUPPORTERS THE FOLLOWING: 

That we come together in support of Nadya and we DEMAND that: 1. The district attorneys office does NOT continue to agree to the never ending hearing continuances without SOME recognition for Nadya’s case and how difficult it has been for her family for over four years with basically no progress. Four years, for a case like my sister’s, is FAR TOO LONG. There needs to be, at the very least, recognition of my families pain to these senseless and time consuming hearing continuances, which are simply stalling tactics while Vongunten continues to enjoy his freedom by being out on bail. He gets to continue his life while he is the man who took my sister’s life away. How is that fair? And finally 2. That the District Attorney’s office charge Vongunten with DUI as they should have in the first place. Garrett Vongunten drove the motorcycle, with my sister on the back, into the side of a moving train in broad daylight. There were multiple witnesses. The train horn sounded, the warning arms and lights were down and functioning. He was witnessed speeding past the cars as they slowed for the trains crossing. His blood was not taken until over an hour after the accident, due to his condition. When the blood did come back, it tested positive for metabolized cocaine. The DA said this prevented us from being able to prove he was high at the time of the accident, because the cocaine had already metabolized. He said that he felt it would undermine the case and that they wouldn’t be charging him with DUI because they didn’t think they could win if they did. Really? Are you the jury? Are you the judge? No, no more being silent and hopeless. The district attorney’s reasoning for not charging Vongunten for DUI are 100% political and based off wanting to win only. Not based off what is right or fair or JUST. 

Vongunten is currently charged with the following:
-Gross Vehicular Manslaughter non-alcohol gross-neglect

-Licensed driver out of classification (he didn’t have a valid motorcycle license)

The next hearing is currently scheduled for 7/31/20, let’s get as many supporters and signatures as we can until then! 

Here you can find the local news article reporting on the incident:

http://m.thecamarilloacorn.com/news/2016-04-29/Front_Page/Camarillo_woman_killed_in_motorcycle_vs_train_cras.html#.WBJ9dt9lDqA

https://www.thecamarilloacorn.com/articles/trial-delays-frustrate-father-of-fatal-crash-victim/

Please help me engage our justice system into holding those responsible accountable for their actions. Please help me do what little I can in the loss of my beloved best friend and sister, Nadya.