Jamestown Woman Convicted Of DUI Homicide For 2023 Crash

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Sonora, CA – A Jamestown woman has been convicted of DUI homicide for the 2023 three-vehicle crash on Highway 108 near Draper Mine Road that killed a 39-year-old Angels Camp man.

We reported here that on May 11, 49-year-old Tammi Lee Ann Truschke rear-ended James Lee Kenyon Jr., forcing his Kia head-on into a pickup truck. Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke announced today that a jury on Wednesday (11/20) found Truschke guilty of second-degree murder, driving under the influence causing injury, and driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more causing injury. The jury also found true the special allegation that she caused the coma and brain death of Kenyon Jr.

D.A. Jenecke reports that Judge Kevin M. Seibert found true the allegations that Truschke had a prior Tuolumne County DUI conviction from 2020, that she had a prior serious/violent felony conviction for a 2009 Oregon attempted robbery, and that these six aggravating factors were true:

1. The crime involved great bodily injury,
2. Truschke engaged in violent conduct, causing a risk to the public.
3. Truschke’s prior criminal history was numerous and increasing in seriousness.
4. Truschke had served a prior term in prison.
5. Truschke was on probation at the time of the offense.
6. Truschke’s prior performance on probation was unsatisfactory.

During the five-day jury trial, Truschke took the stand, stating that an unknown FedEx truck driver caused the crash and that she had consumed hard alcohol on the scene after the crash. Reaching their verdict in just over an hour, D.A. Jenecke says the jury saw through these “falsely concocted defenses.”

Truschke’s sentencing date is December 18, when she could be sentenced to 35 years to life in prison.

“This case demonstrates what we all know to be true—drinking and driving is extremely dangerous to human life. Despite her extensive personal knowledge about that danger, Truschke chose to drive under the influence of alcohol while speeding and distracted. As a result, she murdered James Kenyon Jr. We are incredibly grateful to the jury for returning the only true and just verdict in this case,” stated D.A. Jenecke.