Jefferson County jury convicts Redmond man of manslaughter, DUII in fatal 2020 crash on Highway 97
Found guilty of all charges; sentencing set for Friday
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Jefferson County jury on Monday convicted a 31-year-old Redmond man of manslaughter, drunken driving and assault in a November 2020 head-on collision that killed a Culver teen and seriously injured two other people.
The jury heard testimony last week in the case of Brandon Kern, who prosecutors said drifted into the southbound lane of Highway 97 near Southwest Park Lane. The crash north of the Crooked River Gorge bridge killed Alisa Rose Miller, a 19-year-old mother.
Kern was tested after the crash and found to have a blood alcohol content more than three times Oregon’s legal limit.
The jury returned unanimous verdicts at mid-morning Monday on all six charges – first- and second-degree manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault and DUII.
Circuit Judge Daina Vitolins set sentencing for Friday afternoon, District Attorney Steve Leriche said.
The other driver, Noelle Saunders, then 17, was permanently injured. She told authorities she was heading south and had swerved into Kern’s lane to avoid being struck by his pickup truck.
Kern’s lawyer stressed that the collision happened in Kern’s lane and questioned what other factors regarding the teen driver might have led to the collision, as well as criticizing the thoroughness of the investigation.
