Family of Fresno man killed in hit-and-run crash outraged over sentence for driver

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• A judge sentenced Jamie McKenzie to three years probation and one year in county jail.
• Marvin Johnson Jr. died July 1 after a hit-and-run crash at Dakota and Fruit.
• McKenzie pleaded no contest to felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Family members of motorcyclist Marvin Johnson Jr., who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in July, left a Fresno County Superior courtroom in tears Monday after a judge sentenced the driver to three years of probation and one year in county jail.

“This is bulls--t,” said one family member as she left the sentencing hearing.

Johnson, 30, was killed on July 1 when struck by a vehicle driven by Jamie McKenzie, 31. The crash happened at about 9 p.m. in the intersection of Dakota and Fruit avenues. Johnson was riding a motorcycle and on his way home from his job at Amazon when he was struck.

Police said McKenzie collided with the motorcyclist but failed to stop to check on Johnson.

Family members faulted McKenzie for not stopping and doing the right thing. “My son lay out there bleeding,” said Hazel Ashford. “And she did absolutely nothing. He laid out there in the street and she was nowhere in sight.”

Ashford also was angry that McKenzie did not turn herself in until 20 days after the crash. “That isn’t showing remorse,” she said.

Judge Raj Singh Badhesha said that while the death of Johnson was tragic, the defendant did not have a recent criminal history and accepted responsibility.

Prior to her sentencing, McKenzie read to the court a letter in which she explained why she left the scene of the crash. “I got scared and panicked,” she said. “I was terrified about what might happen to my children. I felt so remorseful.”

But McKenzie also said she realized that a man was dead because of her and that she needed to “own up to it.”

She pleaded no contest in August to one count of felony hit-and-run resulting in permanent injury and one count of misdemeanor, vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.

The judge also argued that justice would best be served by having McKenzie under the supervision of the probation office for “a considerable amount of time.”

Typically, probation is two years, but the judge added an extra year.

On count two, he sentenced her to a year in jail.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Lisa Urizola and members of Johnson’s family were pushing for the maximum of four years in prison.

“I think she should have received at least two years,” Urizola said. “We are disappointed.”

Ashford said she felt let down by the judge. “This isn’t just justice, but this also isn’t over,” she said after the hearing. “We are going back to court and suing her for wrongful death.”

McKenzie was represented by defense attorney Rick Horowitz.