Porsche driver who hit 11 people at a Boise car show sentenced to 7 days in jail
The Eagle man who crashed his Porsche into a crowd of 11 people last year was sentenced Friday and will serve seven days in jail after a jury convicted him last month of misdemeanor reckless driving.
Roy Drennon was convicted in the September 2017 crash that left 11 people injured when he was leaving a Boise car show. Witnesses told police at the time that Drennon was among several drivers exiting the Cars and Coffee event at the Spectrum doing burnouts in front of the spectators.
Magistrate Judge Daniel Steckel sentenced Drennon, 51, on Friday morning to 180 days in jail, but the judge suspended 173 of those. He must serve two years of unsupervised probation and will have his driver’s license restricted for 100 days. He must also serve 100 hours of community service.
Drennon crashed after making a right turn onto Overland Road from Entertainment Avenue. He lost control of the car, plowing into spectators. According to the prosecutor, he hit and injured four adults, several teenagers and one 9-year-old boy with his 2016 Porsche Spyder.
Boise City Prosecutor Joshua Bishop asked for a 30-day fixed sentence with 150 days suspended.
“What happened was completely preventable,” the prosecutor said.
Bishop noted that Drennon failed to yield at two signs, and Bishop argued that Drennon was showing off.
Video of the collision showed victims bouncing off the Porsche. People suffered broken bones and vision loss, as well as head injuries that caused memory loss and speech difficulties, according to victim-impact statements.
The parents of the 9-year-old child who was struck submitted a statement that Bishop read in court. The child reportedly had to miss a significant amount of school, and the crash fractured both of the boy’s knees and knocked him unconscious. The parents stated that they are concerned the accident may stunt his growth.
Defense attorney Scott McKay argued that his client had no prior criminal history, and Drennon’s most recent speeding ticket was in 2012. McKay said Drennon is a devoted father, husband and business owner who took responsibility for his actions.
“There is not a value in incarcerating him,” McKay said about the magnitude of his client’s remorse. “He will continue to live with this every day, just like he does today.”
McKay said Drennon exercised his right to a trial based on the advice of counsel. He also pointed out that there are ongoing civil lawsuits filed by the victims, and incarcerating Drennon would take him away from his business and hurt his ability to pay any expenses owed in the lawsuits.
The judge did grant Drennon the option of a withheld judgment. In a withheld judgment, Drennon could go back before the court upon completion of his probation and request that the charge be erased from his record.
Drennon apologized Friday in court to the victims who were present, saying he knew his actions were wrong. He said he wanted to take responsibility, and no punishment the judge could hand down would be worse than the way he punishes himself.
“I am sorry and it’s the biggest mistake of my life, and I wish there was something I could do to take back that 15 seconds of my life,” Drennon said. “I had no intention of hurting anyone, and I didn’t know there were any kids there.”
Steckel said that when he debated how many days Drennon should serve, he knew he wanted to send a message, especially so close to Thanksgiving.
“It’s appropriate you be taken out of here in handcuffs and sent a message,” the judge told Drennon.
Steckel said that he believes Drennon to be a good man who made a mistake, and that he’s sure the day of the accident was horrific for Drennon as well.
“But this was a colossal lapse in judgment,” the judge said. “When you’re driving a 3,000-pound weapon you owe a high responsibility, and you know that.”
This story was originally published November 16, 2018 at 12:05 PM.