OAKLAND – An El Cerrito man who has three previous drunken driving convictions was sentenced to 6 years in prison in 2022 for killing his friend while inebriated, court records show.
Nipun Ajmani, 44, pleaded no contest to alleged assault by drunken driving in reference to the March 12, 2022, crash on the MacArthur Maze that killed 36-year-old Zeeshan Khan, a passenger in Ajmani's automobile. He was formally sentenced in June but stays in Santa Rita Jail for now.
The story behind Ajmani's arrest began an hour before the crash, when he and Zhan were stopped by police in a vehicle driven by a 3rd party around 1:15 a.m. Officers concluded Ajmani was too drunk to drive and drove him and Zhan to the 1000 block of University Avenue in Berkeley, where Ajmani owned a cellular phone store, court records show.
Police estimated that Ajmani wouldn’t be sober until around 11 a.m. and told him so, based on court records. Instead of following officers' advice, Ajmani got behind the wheel of one other vehicle and picked up Zhan once they collided with a automobile from behind on the maze at around 2:20 a.m., authorities said.
“(Ajmani) is absolutely devastated by (Zhan's) death,” Morris wrote. “He regrets his actions and wishes nothing but healing and recovery for Mr. Khan's family.”
Ajmani was arrested after the accident and has been in prison ever since. He took classes to treat his alcoholism while in prison and is being sued by Zhan's next of kin, court records show.
According to court records, Ajmani has been convicted of drunk driving 3 times, all between 2003 and 2010.
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