HARDIN COUNTY – A man who killed three people in a drunken driving crash was sentenced to 40 years in prison last week.
Brenon James Proulx, a 51-year-old Silsbee man, pleaded guilty to three counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault in Hardin County’s 356th District Court last Friday. The sentence, handed down by District Judge Steve Thomas, was part of a plea deal.
Proulx was given two 20-year sentences for intoxicated manslaughter and a 10-year sentence for intoxicated assault. The 10-year sentence will run concurrently with the two other sentences.
The crash occurred in February on FM 327, located between Kountze and Silsbee, when Proulx crossed a center line in the road and collided with two eastbound motorcycles, while driving the wrong way. The victims were Tyler County residents James Means and his daughter, 12-year-old Cecillia “CiCi” Means and Allen Wesenberg. Wesenberg’s 7-year-old son was riding with him and injured in the crash, suffering a broken leg.
According to Hardin County District Attorney Bruce Hoffer, Proulx had had close calls with four other motorcycles on the night of Feb. 2 when the fatal crash occurred.
Proulx was taken into custody at the scene of the crash, and his blood alcohol level was found to be more than twice the legal limit.
In a show of solidarity to their fallen fellow riders, members of the Strifeless Souls Motorcycle Club, with which both Means and Wesenberg rode, were present in court last week.
