The wife of a Northern California sheriff now faces a DUI charge following a May crash where her Tesla struck a home and injured a person.
Natasha Whittinghill-Engram, 47, was recently charged with felony DUI resulting in bodily injury after allegedly having a BAC of over .2 during the May 19 crash. That is more than double the legal driving limit of .08.
Whittinghill-Engram – wife of Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram – was arrested at the time after her Tesla struck a home in the 5200 block of Beaumont Way.
Shocking photos and videos show the wrecked vehicle with its entire front end stuck in the side of the Santa Rosa home where the homeowner was injured.
In a statement after her arrest, Sheriff Engram said he was ‘greatly concerned’ about his wife’s well-being as well as the person who was inside the home and injured.
Natasha Whittinghill-Engram (left) has been charged with felony DUI resulting in bodily injury after allegedly having a BAC of over .2 during the May 19 crash
Whittinghill-Engram is the wife of Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram
Shocking photos and videos show the wrecked vehicle with its entire front end stuck in the side of the Santa Rosa home where the homeowner was injured
Court documents stated Whittinghill-Engram officially faces two felony charges plus enhancements in the DUI crash.
In addition to the first felony DUI charge, she was also charged with felony DUI resulting in bodily injury with a blood alcohol content exceeding .08. The two enhancements are related to her BAC allegedly being over .2.
The woman was arrested by police in Santa Rosa in May after the crash.
Whittington-Engram was not injured, but the woman inside the home, Lorie Johnson, suffered minor injuries, KRON 4 reported.
Sheriff Engram confirmed his wife’s involvement in the incident just hours after she had been arrested, sharing a post on Facebook detailing his thoughts.
The law enforcement official said he wanted his constituents to ‘hear it from me first’ while discussing the ‘personal’ and ‘painful’ message.
‘Last night my wife was involved in a DUI crash. Her car hit a house, causing damage, and the one person inside the home was injured,’ Engram wrote.
‘As a husband, I am greatly concerned about my wife’s well-being,’ Engram wrote.
‘As a citizen and Sheriff, I am also concerned about the well-being of the person inside the home who suffered injuries,’ his post continued.
Court documents stated Whittinghill-Engram officially faces two felony charges plus enhancements in the DUI crash
‘Last night my wife was involved in a DUI crash. Her car hit a house, causing damage, and the one person inside the home was injured,’ Engram (pictured) wrote in May
‘As a husband, I am greatly concerned about my wife’s well-being,’ Engram wrote in May. Pictured: Sheriff Engram and Whittinghill-Engram in 2022
Sheriff Engram said he would be recusing himself and leaving the investigation to the Santa Rosa Police Department to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.
Engram was elected to the position in November.
In an interview after the crash, Johnson told NBC 4 that she had been sitting peacefully in her recliner with her dog, watching TV.
‘I heard the revving of the engine first, then I heard no breaks, and then I heard this crackle,’ Johnson recalled.
The woman said before she knew it, the Tesla had smashed into the corner of the room and pushed glass, furniture, and her own TV at her.
She described it as though ‘an earthquake with concrete [was] coming down.’
‘The two-by-fours were laying on the side of me with nails, I had debris in my hair, I had sheet rock,’ she said, telling the outlet she went into shock.
‘[The driver] was airborne, she [was] airborne and it was stuck, and I saw her lights, I saw her blinkers and I heard her,’ Johnson said.
The woman’s husband, Mark Johnson, was asleep at the time and was awakened by the sounds of his wife’s screams.
‘I hear her screaming– the love of my life,’ he recalled through tears. ‘It was just traumatic, I’m a big baby when it comes to this kind of stuff.’
‘The two-by-fours were laying on the side of me with nails, I had debris in my hair, I had sheet rock,’ Lorie Johnson (pictured) said, telling NBC 4 she went into shock after the crash
The woman’s husband, Mark Johnson (pictured middle) had been asleep at the time and was awakened by the sounds of his wife’s screams
Whittinghill-Engram has not yet entered a plea as of July 2.
DailyMail.com reached out to the woman’s attorney, Martin Woods, who did not respond to a request for comment.
She is scheduled to go before a judge on August 8 to enter a plea and determine if there is enough evidence to go to trial.
