Man sentenced to seven years in fatal drunken crash

A 27-year-old Washington man, whose second collision within minutes while drunken driving resulted in the death of one twin and the serious injury of his twin brother and a 17-year-old girl, has been sentenced to seven to 26 years in prison.

Michael Silverhorn's blood-alcohol level was tested at 0.22 percent -- more than twice the legal limit -- after the Nov. 14 collision at the intersection of Michael Way and Washington Avenue.

The deadly incident had begun a short time before when Silverhorn's car rear ended a vehicle in a minor incident. While exchanging information with the other driver, Silverhorn became spooked, hopped into his car and raced away, Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker told a judge Monday.

Silverhorn was traveling more than 60 mph in a 25 zone when he disregarded a red light and slammed into the side of a small truck carrying Jeffrey and Jerome McKenzie, both 38. The truck spun around and was hit head-on by a car driven by Kassandra Dunsmore, Booker said.

Jeffrey McKenzie was killed in the incident and Jerome McKenzie suffered multiple injuries and told District Judge John McGroarty how he will live the rest of his life with a steel pin in his hip.

Dunsmore lost a year of memory and suffered other brain injuries plus the loss of hearing in one year, Booker said. The woman said the event cause her a year of high school but she has regained her memory and is coping with the hearing loss.

"It was not a good thing that happened," she said.

Silverhorn apologized in court to his victims and their families, telling them, "I take full responsibility for my terrible crime."

Before McGroarty handed down the sentence that will keep the defendant in prison for seven years before eligibility for parole, he noted that Silverhorn had a history of drug and alcohol problems that he didn't address before the fatal accident.

Silverhorn even had a DUI arrest in Washington, but defense attorney Paul Wommer said it was dismissed after the defendant completed court mandated counseling.

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