Man killed in Highway 1 crash was beloved local chef, business owner, family says

Family members have identified Adalberto “Beto” Mendez as the man killed in a crash last weekend on Highway 1 that involved two drivers who are suspected of having been under the influence of alcohol.

The crash also left Raul Mendez, brother to Beto and co-owner with him of La Bodeguita restaurant in Bodega Bay, alive but badly burned and hospitalized, family said in a GoFundMe this week. The fundraiser seeks to help the family cover both funeral and medical expenses.

The Sonoma County Coroner’s Office has not yet confirmed the name of the man killed, but family opened up about their loss online and on social media. The Mendez brothers had owned and operated La Bodeguita since 2013, according to the restaurant’s website.

The pair had been driving southbound on Highway 1, headed home from work, according to the fundraiser page, when their Nissan Frontier collided with a Dodge truck going north around 11:30 p.m., according to the CHP. The two cars were blocking the highway just north of Valley Ford Road after the collision, CHP said.

A short time later, a third driver approached from the south in a Ford Ranger and failed to stop in time, CHP said. Winter Nason, 25, of Santa Rosa, hit the side of the Dodge before crashing into the rear of the Nissan, CHP said.

The Nissan became engulfed in flames, but the officers were investigating whether the fire had started after the first or second collision. Beto Mendez, who had been driving, was unable to escape, according to CHP.

Raul Mendez was able to escape, but his family said he was “severely burned” and went into surgery a day or so later.

Joseph Mantua, 47, of Bodega Bay, the Dodge driver, and Nason, who was driving the Ranger, were both arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Mantua was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major but non-life-threatening injuries, according to CHP.

La Bodeguita will remain closed for the foreseeable future, the family said. They mourned Beto’s loss, calling him “such a hard worker” who “always had a smile on his face.”

The family had not responded to requests for comment as of Friday.

You can reach Staff Writer Kaylee Tornay at 707-521-5250 or kaylee.tornay@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ka_tornay.