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On Monday, Oct. 13, a 54-year-old Woodside resident was sentenced to 11 years in state prison for two counts of vehicular manslaughter. In 2023, James Morton Worthington was driving under the influence on Highway 35 when he lost control and struck a tree, killing two passengers.
The three had gotten dinner and drinks at Alice’s Restaurant prior to the crash. While driving at 90 mph on Skyline Boulevard’s winding roads, Worthington drove off the highway near Reids Roost Road and crashed head-on into a tree, causing the car to explode, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Witnesses were able to pull Worthington out of the car but the two passengers, Henry Keating and Josh McGuigan, were pronounced dead at the scene. Worthington was transported to Stanford Hospital with broken ribs and other injuries. According to prosecutors, officers found his blood alcohol concentration at .10% three and a half hours after the crash.
Worthington had been in custody on $1 million bail, according to the DA’s office.
On Aug. 21, the driver pleaded no contest to two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter charges and admitted to the allegations that he was responsible for the death of the passengers.
During the sentencing hearing, Keating and McGuigan’s mothers, and other family members gave impact statements. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Kevin E. Dunleavy denied Worthington probation and sentenced him to state prison with 1,676 days credit for time served.
