A Minnesota man was sentenced to eight years in state prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges stemming from a 2018 police pursuit that ended in a crash that critically injured a pedestrian in Montecito.
Derrick John Thompson, 22, entered guilty pleas last month to charges of evading an officer causing injury, leaving the scene of an accident causing permanent injury, and conspiracy to possess marijuana for sale, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
Thompson also admitted the allegation of personally inflicting great bodily injury causing a comatose condition due to brain injury.
Thompson was driving a white Chevrolet Impala on Sept. 4, 2018, when it careened around the corner of Butterfly Lane from Channel Drive and struck Jennifer Jan Jenson, 58, of Conover, North Carolina.
Jenson suffered major injuries, while two companions escaped injury.
The incident occurred as the Impala was being pursued by Ventura Police Department officers, who observed the vehicle driving erratically on southbound Highway 101, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Thompson fled the scene on foot, but two passengers in the Impala — Diamonte Markel Hickerson, 25, of Newport, Minnesota, and Justyn DeSean Sanders, 26, of Maplewood, Minnesota — were taken into custody after the crash on suspicion of conspiracy and possession of marijuana for sale, Gutierrez said.
More than 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash were found in the trunk of the vehicle, which crashed into a wall on the side of the roadway.
“The victim, a tourist, was staying at a nearby house with several friends when she was struck by the defendant’s vehicle,” the DA’s Office said in a press release. “The defendant immediately fled the scene, while the victim fought for her life in a coma for several weeks.”
More than a month after the crash, Thompson was identifed as the driver, and was located in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was arrested and subsequently extradited to Santa Barbara County.
He has remained in custody without bail at Santa Barbara County Jail.
“This case was a series of dangerous criminal choices that resulted in a horrendous conclusion,” District Attorney Joyce Dudley said. “The victim has made a miraculous recovery, but will still live with the injuries inflicted by this defendant for the rest of her life.”
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Kevin Weichbrod, who had asked Superior Court Judge Brian Hill to impose a lengthier prison sentence.
Thompson was represented by attorney Miles Clark III.
Hickerson and Sanders, passengers in the vehicle, both pleaded no contest in 2019 to charges of conspiracy to sell marijuana and being an accessory to Thompson’s escape attempt.
Hickerson was sentenced to 210 days in County Jail, while Sanders received a term of two years behind bars.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.