An Oakridge man has been sentenced to nearly 19 years for causing a multi-car collision last year, which killed three people and seriously injured another.
On May 30th, 2021, James Cam Johnson the Fourth was on Highway 58, trying to pass a long line of westbound vehicles in a no-passing lane. When unable to pass them all, he tried to re-enter the westbound lane, side sweeping one vehicle and colliding head-on with another.
Three occupants of the hit vehicle died, with another suffering broken leg, hip, and spine.
Johnson pleaded guilty to all counts, including driving under the influence, criminal mischief, assault, and manslaughter. On September 15th, a judge sentenced Johnson to 225 months, and three years of post-parole supervision.
Those victims either killed or severely injured were Indian citizens living in Washington state, including 31-year-old Jagadish Chandrasekaren, who was the driver of the hit vehicle. Passengers were 25-year-old Adharsh Murali, 27-year-old Jignesh Modi, and 24-year-old Puneeth Gattikoppula.
Gattikoppula was transported by air ambulance to a hospital with serious injuries. The rest in the vehicle were declared dead on scene.
Families of the deceased watched the proceedings from India, with court interpreter services provided in both Hindi and Tamil.
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