Tuolumne County District Attorney Laura Krieg announced today that Danny Mundall Anderson, age 71, of Sonora, was convicted on July 25, 2018 of the following charges: three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit and run causing death or great bodily injury, reckless driving causing injury, and delaying and obstructing an investigation. The jury trial began on June 20, 2018. District Attorney Laura Krieg and Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Novelli prosecuted the case for the People.
On October 21, 2016, Anderson was driving northbound on J-59 near Bonds Flat Road, when he crossed solid double yellow lines into the southbound lane of traffic, facing a blind curve. Anderson passed two vehicles, as 16 year old Trista Hoffman, her mother Tina Hoffman, her brother Dillon Hoffman, and 16 year old friend Annie Jonson were coming around the curve southbound. Miss Hoffman swerved just 3 seconds before a head-on collision with Anderson, and her vehicle collided with one of the cars Anderson passed, a northbound Toyota Camry being driven by Dorothy Eisemann.
Trista Hoffman and her mother Tina Hoffman were both pronounced dead at the scene. Rheinholt Eisemann, a passenger in the Camry, died a few hours later. Dillon Hoffman, Dorothy Eisemann, and Annie Jonson all suffered serious injuries.
Anderson returned to the scene and told California Highway Patrol officers that he had come upon the collision and had stopped to help. When asked if he was a witness or was involved, he indicated he was not. He left the scene without ever identifying himself as a party that passed or was involved in the collision. After a lengthy investigation that included obtaining video surveillance from nearby businesses, the CHP identified Anderson’s white Acura MDX as the vehicle witnesses described as passing and causing the collision.
The Honorable Donald Segerstrom who presided over the trial scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 7, 2018. Anderson is facing a maximum of 10 years, 4 months in state prison.
For more information, please contact Laura Krieg, 209-588-5450
