Driver gets 3 years, 4 months for killing golf course employee in San Leandro crash

OAKLAND — An Oakland man has been sentenced to three years and four months behind bars for killing a golf course employee in San Leandro in a 2022 hit-and-run collision, court records show.

Jason McDermott, 44, pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter in the death of Ismael Hernandez, an employee at Monarch Bay Golf Course. The crash occurred on April 18, 2022.

Hernandez had been riding a lawnmower at work when he was struck by a stolen Dodge pickup truck. Both McDermott and a passenger ran from the crash and the passenger later told police McDermott was driving, police said.

Witnesses later gave police videos showing McDermott running and jumping fences in his attempt to get away from the accident scene, authorities said.

As part of the plea deal, Alameda County prosecutors dropped charges of leaving the scene of an accident, driving a stolen car and enhancements related to his seven prior convictions, including for driving a stolen car and evading police in a vehicle, court records show.

McDermott will receive credit for time served for more than 1,000 days, and receives a 50 percent sentence reduction with good behavior, court records show. He is serving the remainder of his sentence in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.