Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 25, 2007

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DEFENDANT SENTENCED IN VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER CASE

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that Jeremiah Jose Garcia was sentenced to eight months in the Sonoma County jail. Judge Gayle Guynup also ordered Garcia to complete three-hundred hours of volunteer work while on formal probation for three years. On March 21, 2007, a jury convicted Jeremiah Garcia of two counts of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

District Attorney Passalacqua stated that "this is a tragedy that could easily have been avoided if Mr. Garcia would simply have followed the rules of the road. Two people are dead because of his negligent and criminal actions."

On December 1, 2005, Jeremiah Jose Garcia was driving a Nissan pickup truck, traveling eastbound on SR-121, west of the SR-12 intersection near the town of Sonoma. Another driver, driving a Dodge Caravan, was in front of Garcia. The Caravan was in the process of turning left onto northbound SR-12 toward Sonoma. The van moved into the left turn lane and began braking. Due to Garcia’s unsafe following distance, Garcia was unprepared to safely slow as the van braked in front of him. Garcia was unable to avoid the collision with the rear of the van and the front left portion of defendant’s truck struck the right rear of the van. Garcia lost control of the truck which went into a spin shortly after the collision. The truck then traveled into oncoming traffic. Wesley Nygren, a champion gymnast with aspirations to compete at the collegiate level, was driving to gymnastics practice with his father, John, when their car was hit by Garcia’s truck. Wesley was pronounced dead on the scene. John died days later in the hospital as a result of his injuries.

Deputy District Attorney Jason Riehl was the prosecutor assigned to the case and was assisted by District Attorney Investigator Roslyn Eliaser and Victim Advocate Kasey Halcon. California Highway Patrolman Jack Moser was the lead investigator.