DULUTH — Despite the loss of his son to a high-speed, drunken driving crash, Jason Trowbridge told a court that he stands by the man who accepted responsibility for the crime.
Darren A. Tenney (Courtesy of St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office)
Darren Andrew Tenney is “like another son,” he wrote in a letter to a judge, and perhaps “God saved him … so he could help people prevent this in their lives and help them heal.”
In a highly unusual scene inside a Duluth courtroom on Wednesday, the families of both Joseph Trowbridge and Madison Warren, who died in the Sept. 9, 2023, wreck near Floodwood, asked a judge to show mercy and spare Tenney a prison sentence.
“Sitting behind bars will do nothing in this case,” Jason Trowbridge said. “Continuing to help others and heal is far better time spent for all of us, including the public.”
Judge Leslie Beiers, at the conclusion of the emotional hearing, granted the request. It’s a departure from sentencing guidelines based on Tenney’s demonstrated efforts to gain sobriety, as well as the recommendations from the families and attorneys.
Tenney, 25, of Hugo, Minnesota, was ordered to serve 120 days in jail and five years of supervised probation in lieu of an eight-year prison term following his guilty plea in July to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide.
Apologizing for his actions, the defendant told the court that “both Madi and Joey were amazing people” and he was blown away by the “level of strength and courage” shown by the families of the young couple.
“They are truly remarkable people,” Tenney said. “In many ways, they are my heroes. I will forever be grateful for that.”
The sentencing came just over two years after the gruesome crash that took the lives of Trowbridge and Warren, both 23, who lived in Woodbury and Oakdale, respectively.
Tenney said in July he has no memory of the incident, either due to impairment or the injuries he also sustained in the collision. But he admitted the evidence collected by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office could only lead to the conclusion that he was driving.
The friends had spent the day doing some work at a cabin owned by the Trowbridge family before going out to drink in the evening hours.
According to the investigation, Tenney’s 2004 Chevrolet Silverado was split in half when it left County Road 8, just east of Floodwood, and struck a tree around 2:45 a.m.
Trowbridge was ejected through the windshield and was found in a nearby tree, while Warren was still belted in the back seat. Tenney was also partially ejected but remained pinned inside the truck from the waist down.
Deputies noted a strong odor of alcohol and found several beer cans scattered around the crash scene. A test revealed Tenney had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.117 nearly four hours later.
Defense attorney Eric Olson noted his client went to inpatient treatment immediately after he was released on bail. He also went on to complete an outpatient program, continues to voluntarily attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and has completed training to become a certified peer-recovery specialist.
Dozens of family members and supporters of Tenney, Trowbridge and Warren attended the hearing and/or submitted letters to the court on Tenney’s behalf — none seeking prison time.
Warren’s mother, Tina Cermak, called it a “tragic accident,” not an act of malice. She said she has honored her daughter with the establishment of a scholarship at her former elementary school, and she believes Tenney will be able to honor the victims’ memories in his own way.
“Darren will forever be imprisoned mentally over the loss of his two close friends,” Cermak said in a letter read in court. “I totally believe in accountability, but I also believe in redemption.”
St. Louis County prosecutor Vicky Wanta planned to ask for a prison term on one count, followed by a probationary sentence on the other count. However, after hearing the defense’s presentation, she was moved to call an “audible.”
“I think Mr. Tenney has demonstrated substantial and compelling reasons to depart in this case,” the prosecutor acknowledged.
Wanta said she has a duty to protect public safety and still feels there needs to be serious consequences for impaired driving, especially given the “tremendous loss Mr. Tenney caused the community through his actions that night.”
In trying to balance the wishes of the families, Wanta suggested Tenney serve a year at the St. Louis County Jail or Northeast Regional Corrections Center, as well as two weeks annually around the anniversary of the crash.
Judge Beiers ultimately imposed just a 120-day jail term, with no credit for time served, ordering Tenney to surrender on Monday. She also included a requirement that he complete 100 hours of community service in a recovery-focused setting each of the next five years.
The judge said she has never seen a case with so many letters attesting to the “kindness, work ethic and remorse,” of a defendant — especially the showing of such grace from the victims’ families.
“Please don’t let me see you back here for any reason,” Beiers told the defendant.
Tenney replied: “You won’t, your honor.”
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