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A Pleasanton teen was sentenced Friday to nine years in state prison for a crash in Pleasanton last June that killed a bicyclist and injured her husband.
Cody Hall, 19, had faced a murder charge for the June 9 crash that killed 58-year-old Diana Hersevoort of Dublin, but last month prosecutors reached an agreement with him that allowed him to plead no contest to the lesser charge of felony vehicular manslaughter.
The nine-year term imposed by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy was the sentence that was called for in Hall’s plea agreement.
Pleasanton police said Hersevoort and her husband, Johannes Hersevoort, were riding their bicycles north on Foothill Road south of Golden Eagle Way just after 1 p.m. on June 9 when Hall, who was driving a 2004 Dodge Neon in the same direction, crashed into them.
Police said the speed limit on Foothill Road is 40 mph but Hall was traveling at about 83 mph as he approached and passed another vehicle that also was traveling north.
Officer Tom Hansen said in a probable cause statement that the road “makes a sweeping right hand turn” in that area but Hall passed the other vehicle unlawfully, crossing double parallel lines, and then began to lose control of his car and crashed into the Hersevoorts.
He said Diana Hersevoort was killed and Johannes Hersevoort suffered a broken leg.
In addition to pleading no contest to vehicular manslaughter for killing Diana Hersevoort, Hall pleaded to an enhancement clause that he inflicted great bodily injury on her husband.
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Anyone know what the prospects are of his regaining a driver’s license from the DMV when he gets out? (in 4 to 5 years with good behavior?). The DMV can’t impose a lifetime driving ban on him, can they?
P.S.: Pleasanton Weekly, please correct: “…but Hansen passed the other vehicle unlawfully…” should be “… but Hall passed the other vehicle unlawfully…”)
Cody does not deserve to serve anything less than NINE years, in fact he should have to spend longer than that in Prison! I doubt nine years will do anything to his attitude or his driving habits.
Simraceway at Sears Point has resumed running the one day teen driving classes that the Bondurant school used to run. They focus on car control and recovery in real life situations. It might have been impossible to correct at 83mph at that point on the road, but training might have informed Mr. Hall that he was carrying WAY too much speed into the corner.
A lot of kids are going to drive stupid fast whether or not they get training. Better they have an idea of what they are getting into before they have to learn on-the-fly.
@Bill
The difference between safe drivers and unsafe drivers is not related to high-speed driving skills such as high-speed recovery or high-speed car control. The difference between safe drivers and unsafe drives is largely one of judgement. That’s what Cody Hall was lacking. I don’t think that any of us would feel reassured if the DMV someday gives Cody Hall another drivers license conditioned on the requirement that he first takes high-speed driving classes at Sears Point.
Damon, Why does this country give DUI offenders 3 chances before revoking their license?
Point being, many kids will have those moments less frequently than Mr. Hall, and could use the training. Kids inherently will make bad decisions.
It is not a racing high speed class. They will learn the basics of how to correct when things go wrong, which can happen at much lower speeds than 80. If anything, feeling a car that is out of control will give them some respect for the physics of doing something stupid. Its an eye opener.
@Bill: ” If anything, feeling a car that is out of control will give them some respect for the physics of doing something stupid. Its an eye opener.”
I understand your point. It’s just that I think that it’s a bit misplaced in reference to Cody Hall. Let’s face it: Cody Hall didn’t need additional training in order to learn the feeling of a car out of control. Cody had extensive first-hand experience in that and multiple wrecked cars as proof. The car driving lessons that you propose would only help people who want to avoid “doing something stupid” with their car, not people who love the thrill of “doing something stupid” with their car.
Damon,
I have nothing to say about Cody Hall other than good riddance. Some people you just can’t reach.
But others might find the information useful in the context of their own experiences with their own kids. I’ve known some good kids who have made some big mistakes on Foothill and Tassajara, and some of them could have been prevented.
Apologies if I wasn’t clear.
May you all find some peace in your lives. May your family never have to go through anything like this. Bitterness and anger does nothing perhaps spend some time doing some good in the world. Especially people like Cholo and Sue.