Driver ejected and killed in road rage crash, CA officials say. Woman convicted
A woman has been convicted in a deadly road rage incident that ended with a man being ejected from his van as it rolled multiple times, California prosecutors say.
A jury found Jenny Rebecca Lesch, 47, guilty of multiple charges, including vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, in the death of James Pack, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said in an Oct. 20 news release.
An attorney for Lesch did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Oct. 21.
Pack merged onto Highway 1 in Monterey on his drive home in his Westfalia Volkswagen van, and Lesch tailgated him in her SUV on May 31, 2023, prosecutors said.
“Lesch swerved into another lane, nearly hitting another car,” prosecutors said.
Pack tried to merge into the same lane as Lesch; however, she blocked him by braking, and the drivers flipped each other off, according to prosecutors.
Pack eventually merged into the lane behind Lesch, but Lesch kept brake-checking him, causing him to lose control of his van, prosecutors said.
Pack spun out of control, as Lesch swerved into another lane, “nearly hitting a second vehicle, a silver Honda,” prosecutors said.
To avoid Lesch, the Honda driver swerved and crashed into Pack’s van on the side of the highway, the district attorney’s office said.
Pack was ejected from the van as it rolled multiple times, prosecutors said, adding that he died from his injuries later the same day.
Lesch and the Honda driver fled after the crash, according to prosecutors.
“The driver of the silver Honda was later found and prosecuted for fleeing the scene of an accident causing death,” the district attorney’s office said.
Prosecutors said California Highway Patrol officers spoke with Lesch at her Carmel Valley home the night of the collision, and “she denied any involvement in the accident.”
Lesch repeatedly told officers “she wasn’t able to call 911 because her phone wasn’t working,” prosecutors said.
Forensic evidence, however, showed Lesch’s phone had signal during and after the crash, prosecutors said.
Dash camera video, which recorded a portion of the incident, contradicted Lesch’s statements to police, prosecutors said.
Lesch was previously prosecuted in 2021 in a separate road rage incident in Southern California, prosecutors said.
As she walked to her car in a Newport Beach parking lot, “Lesch felt a Tesla cut her off and nearly hit her,” prosecutors said.
Lesch confronted and yelled at the Tesla driver, the district attorney’s office said.
“After the driver of the Tesla went into a store, Lesch was caught on video keying the Tesla,” prosecutors said.
Police questioned Lesch about the incident days later, but she “repeatedly lied,” saying “she only spit on the car,” according to prosecutors.
Lesch later “admitted to keying the vehicle in anger” after being told she was caught on camera, prosecutors said.
In addition to vehicular manslaughter, prosecutors said Lesch was also found guilty of felony hit-and-run with injury or death and assault with a deadly weapon in the 2023 incident.
Lesch is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 18 and faces a maximum prison sentence of nine years, prosecutors said.
Pack is survived by his wife of 25 years, adult children and brother, according to prosecutors.
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Driver ejected and killed in road rage crash, CA officials say. Woman convicted."
