Family mourns mother, daughter killed in Santa Clara crash

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ByKatie Marzullo KGO logo
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Family mourns mother, daughter killed in Santa Clara crash
A South Bay family is mourning the loss of two of its members after a suspected drunk driver is accused of taking the lives of an elderly woman and her daughter in a Santa Clara crash.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- A South Bay family is mourning the loss of two of its members after a suspected drunk driver is accused of taking the lives of an elderly woman and her daughter in a Santa Clara crash.

RELATED: Mother, daughter killed in Santa Clara crash

The women had just left a late-night Holy Thursday mass at Our Lady of Peace off Great America Parkway in Santa Clara.

The car was hit less than a quarter mile away from the church. There were four women in the car, all related. Two survived.

Jeff Bontilao says his 92-year-old grandmother was devoted to her religion.

Angela Bontilao, two of her daughters, and their niece were out Thursday night, going from church to church for the stations of the cross -- an Easter tradition.

They left Our Lady of Peace around 11:30 p.m. The CHP say 26-year-old Vinod Bonthu of Sunnyvale was drunk and speeding when he lost control of his car getting off northbound Highway 101 onto Great America Parkway.

He hit the women head on.

"The driver, who was at fault of this collision, was placed under arrest for a felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter," said Ross Lee of the CHP.

Angela and her 61-year-old daughter Carina Kubow were killed.

"She's like the fun aunt, right," Bontilao said of Kubow. "She likes to party, karaoke."

Kubow's sister Joy Valenzuela survived the crash. Her husband had to tell her that her mother and sister died.

"She had a feeling that it happened," said Valenzuela's husband Joe. "Cause they were already dead, because she was calling their names and no movement."

In an instant, an extended San Jose family lost a favorite aunt and beloved matriarch.

"She was the best. She took care of us since we were like this, running around," said Bontilao, gesturing. "She loved to garden. That's the one thing -- she has a beautiful garden out back."

The suspected drunk driver suffered major injuries. His two passengers were also hurt.