Driver In Horrific Van Crash Leaving Prison
Law: Mandatory Release Date Comes After 75 Percent Of Sentence Served
Posted: 10:15 am CDT October 17, 2003Updated: 2:03 pm CDT October 17, 2003
CLINTON, Iowa -- The driver of a van that crashed near Janesville, killing seven members of a magazine sales crew and seriously injuring five others, could soon be released from prison.
Jeremy Holmes, 25, of Clinton, was driving on Interstate 90 near Janesville, Wis., in 1999 when the van crashed. He's accused of trying to switch seats with a passenger while going 80 mph, when he saw a police officer trying to pull him over.Under Wisconsin law, Holmes' mandatory release date will arrive after he served 75 percent of his sentence, or four years. Once he's released, he must serve four years probation, which will run concurrently with his term of parole.The 14 people, ages 15 to 22, who were in the van worked for Youth Employment Services, a magazine subscription company. The owner was convicted of seven counts of homicide by negligent use of a vehicle.
According to police records, Holmes was driving without a valid license and had several traffic tickets pending against him. He pleaded guilty in 1999 to seven counts of vehicular homicide and five counts of injury by the negligent use of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in restitution.Holmes is serving his sentence in the Jackson Correctional Institution.
Jeremy Holmes, 25, of Clinton, was driving on Interstate 90 near Janesville, Wis., in 1999 when the van crashed. He's accused of trying to switch seats with a passenger while going 80 mph, when he saw a police officer trying to pull him over.Under Wisconsin law, Holmes' mandatory release date will arrive after he served 75 percent of his sentence, or four years. Once he's released, he must serve four years probation, which will run concurrently with his term of parole.The 14 people, ages 15 to 22, who were in the van worked for Youth Employment Services, a magazine subscription company. The owner was convicted of seven counts of homicide by negligent use of a vehicle.According to police records, Holmes was driving without a valid license and had several traffic tickets pending against him. He pleaded guilty in 1999 to seven counts of vehicular homicide and five counts of injury by the negligent use of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in restitution.Holmes is serving his sentence in the Jackson Correctional Institution. Previous Stories:
- March 24, 2003: Parents Of Janesville Van Crash Victims Hold Memorial
- June 4, 2002: 2 Years Mark Worst Crash In Wisconsin
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