Jakscht Taking Witness Stand
It took over 2 years, but I’m thrilled by the verdict!
Michael Jakscht, age 49 was found guilty on four counts of manslaughter. You may remember Mr. Jakscht from a previous blog post HERE.
It was March 2010 and he was the truck driver who drove his 12 ton trash truck through a pack of eight motorcycles carrying nine people at a stop light at the intersection of 27th Avenue and Carefree Highway near I-17 in Phoenix, AZ. Yes, I said the motorcyclists were all stopped waiting on the traffic light when Jakscht ran over the group.
It was a horrific and gruesome crash scene. Four people were killed, and five others were injured in the accident. Methamphetamine was found in Jakscht’s system at the time of the crash. His lawyer, however, had argued that Jakscht wasn’t under the influence at the time of the accident, and that the incident was caused by a mechanical failure in the truck.
Accident Scene – March 2010
Jakscht’s first trial took place in 2011 and it ended with a hung jury deadlocked at 9 to 3 for acquittal. Fortunately the Maricopa County attorney’s office (Attorney Bill Montgomery) chose to retry the case, and Jakscht was recently found guilty on four counts of manslaughter and on five counts of aggravated assault, one count of endangerment imminent death, and three counts of endangerment physical injury.
Nothing can bring back the four motorcyclist who were killed, but I hope the family’s of the deceased get some satisfaction in knowing that Mr. Jakscht is being held accountable for his actions. Sentencing is set for November 16 at 8:30am.
UPDATE: December 5,1012 – Mr. Jakscht was sentenced November 16th to 26 years in prison by Judge Joseph Welty. Under Arizona’s Truth In Sentencing Law Jakscht will do about 230 months. His release date will be late in the year 2031 or early in 2032.
Photos courtesy of ABC Channel 15 and AZFamily.com
Northwest Harley Blog 
Thanks for posting this. I just started riding a few months ago (Sporty 883 Super Low) and realize what a different world it is out from the saddle of a motorcycle. It’s sad that the defense lawyer was claiming that it was a mechanical failure. People were injured and lives were lost. He needs to be accountable for his actions.