By Jennifer Henderson
Oakland motorcyclist Lincoln Linsmith, whose high-speed driving was blamed for the deaths of three other bikers in Olema Valley last year, was convicted Monday on three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
Following a month-long trial presided over by Judge Lynn Taylor O'Malley, he was also found guilty of one count of reckless driving with injury.
Linsmith, 31, a tree trimmer, mechanic, and carpenter, faces up to eight years and eight months in state prison. He is free on his own recognizance pending sentencing on Dec. 11.
The accident occurred near Hagmaier Pond on May 6,1994. CHP officers said that Linsmith was traveling at 95 mph when he crested a blind curve and crossed the center line into the south bound lane.
Linsmith's motorcycle glanced off an oncoming station wagon driven by Kent Kantz of St. Helena. The car then went out of control and struck three motorcyclists traveling behind Linsmith.
Killed in the crash were: Jimmie Rounds Jr., 27, of El Sobrante; Brian Keown, 39, of Piedmont; and Julian Neff, 32, of Oakland.
Kantz, 49, and Linsmith were admitted to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Rafael. Kantz was treated for with chest pains and injuries to his face, while Linsmith was treated for a broken ankle.
The motorcyclists were taking part in the weekly Sunday Morning Ride, an informal group of executives and professionals who meet every Sunday morning at Tam Junction to ride up Highway 1 to Point Reyes Station, where they stop for breakfast at the Station House Cafe.
Linsmith was not a regular member of the Sunday Morning Ride, but would drop by periodically, said Deputy District Attorney Kevin Jones.
"The vast majority of Sunday morning riders have been supportive of this prosecution because they support responsible motorcycling," he added.
Linsmith, 31, had pled innocent to the charges. During the trial, he testified that he could have taken the turn at up to 110 mph were it had not been for Kantz's car which, he claimed, strayed into the northbound lane.
Expert witnesses for the defense supported Linsmith's contention while two Highway Patrol officers disputed it.
"To my mind, the testimony of both officers was indispensable and highly persuasive," said Jones, who credited CHP officers Walter Haynes and Jeff Abrahams for outstanding investigative work.
Kent Kantz also refuted Linsmith's allegations, in what prosecutor Jones called "the most compelling testimony," of the trial.
The trial has caused a number of people to drop out of the Sunday morning ride, said Jones.
"Another result [of the crash] is that more West Marin residents will not drive on the roads between 7 and 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, which is a shame," he noted.