A La Mesa man found out the hard way how dangerous it is to have three people on a motorcycle when he was sentenced to 12 years in prison after one of his passengers was killed.

Chad Paul Tucker, 47, received the term from El Cajon Superior Court Judge Robert Amador in July for the death of Theresa Chenelle Clouthier, 38.

Tucker had another female passenger on his motorcycle and Clouthier was the third occupant when he crashed on the Severin Drive on-ramp to westbound Interstate 8 at 11:20 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2019.

The motorcycle struck a guard rail and all three were thrown from the motorcycle. Tucker was driving too fast for the conditions, said Deputy District Attorney Mei Owen.

Clouthier died from blunt force trauma and was not wearing a helmet.

Tucker and the other woman fled and the motorcycle was left at the scene. The California Highway Patrol arrested Tucker about a month later.

Motorcycles are not designed for three people without an attached sidecar. The additional weight of a third person affects suspension and braking capacity. The state vehicle code says all riders must have their own seats, foot rests, and also wear helmets.

Tucker pleaded guilty to evading a CHP officer with reckless driving that resulted in a death. He also admitted to having a previous felony conviction in which he threw a metal object at a car with the intent to cause great bodily injury to someone in law enforcement in 2017, according to court records.

Owen said the judge imposed consecutive sentences to equal 12 years. Tucker received credit for 2 1/2 years already spent in jail.

Clouthier is survived by a daughter and other family members and worked at J & B Materials in El Cajon for seven years, according to her obituary.

Photo credit: Pixabay.com