By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
NILES, MI – Buchanan resident Taylor Ryan Johnson will spend the next nearly five years in prison after being convicted in February for driving while intoxicated and causing the death of Berrien County Road Department worker William “Mack” Isom in the summer of 2022.
Johnson, 38, of Buchanan, was convicted of driving while intoxicated causing death by a Berrien County Trial Court jury in early February. Monday, Berrien County Trial Court Judge Gordon Hosbein sentenced Johnson to 57 months to 15 years in prison.
Johnson has credit for 56 days already served and must pay $258 in fines and costs. A hearing will be held at a later date to determine restitution from requests submitted by Isom’s family for funeral related and travel expenses.
Isom was a Berrien County Road Department worker clearing brush from the roadway on Red Bud Trail in Oronoko Township when he was killed July 20, 2022. Monday, the courtroom was crowded with dozens of his family members, friends, co-workers and other county employees.
Johnson’s blood alcohol level was found to be .134 after the incident and the investigation showed that he had been speeding up to 70 miles per hour before hitting Isom. Johnson had been part of a fishing party earlier in the day and is believed to have been drinking both then and later at an area restaurant before heading back to Buchanan.
Isom’s brother, Frank, was the first person to speak on behalf of himself and his father, Reuben. “I’ve been waiting to give this statement for three years, eight months and three days,” he said. “That’s 1,342 agonizing days.”
“A lot of people thought we were twins, we were connected in blood, spirit and soul,” he said. “Mack was my biggest supporter and fierce protector … We didn’t grow up with money but we grew up with values. We learned the most important aspect of survival is taking care of others and that was our fortune.”
“Mack and I made a pact a long time ago,” Frank Isom added. “We would take care of Dad; Mack owned a house on the same road as my Dad where we grew up, and he would be Dad’s caretaker. Mack planned to retire early and be Dad’s caretaker but Mr. Johnson changed that. The most shattering part about losing Mack was watching my Dad’s health decline.”
“My father’s not the same person he was on July 19, 2022,” he said. “Dad had a spark in his soul and a twinkle in his eye. I’ve watched these qualities fade and grow dark, but the worst thing is watching his convictions die. Dad believed that people were inherently good and would do the right thing. Watching him change and see the world more darkly has been like losing him too.”
Frank Isom and Mack Isom’s fiancée, Shelly Jasper, expressed disappointment both with Johnson and his attorneys over the numerous delays through the years as well as what they saw as Johnson’s lack of remorse. Jasper described her grief as “unexplainable” and asked Judge Hosbein to send the message that Mack Isom’s life mattered.
“He gave his life doing the job he loved,” Assistant Prosecutor Jerry Vigansky said. “He never knew what hit him but Mr. Johnson knew exactly what he was doing … He saw him (Isom) lying in the road and he didn’t do anything or go up to him. He showed no concern as to how he was doing. He denied that he was speeding or that he had been drinking.”
For his part, Johnson spoke briefly before the sentencing. “I want to apologize to the court and to his family; I’m sorry beyond words,” he said. “I want to tell them that I’m truly sorry. I understand and accept the fact that I have to pay for this. I know what happened that day paints a poor picture of me.”
“We are here today because Mack Isom lost his life as a result of Mr. Johnson’s actions,” Judge Hosbein said. “There’s no sentence I can impose that will make this right for his family. I understand the pain and immeasurable loss the family has endured, and I am truly and deeply sorry.”
Judge Hosbein called Isom a “pillar of our community”. “We are not the same without him and the community has suffered an immense loss,” he said. “I warn people every single day about drinking and driving and this is the result of drinking and driving … I’m sorry to both families for your loss.”