Motorist sentenced to jail for seeking insurance payout for damage he caused by brake checking a semi truck

A motorist was sentenced to jail time and restitution for “trying to profit from his road rage” in a crash involving a commercial semi truck, California prosecutors said.

On July 10, 2026, Ken Pham Tran, 53, was sentenced to 60 days in county jail, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office (SCCDAO).

Tran was also ordered to pay $1,200 in restitution to Progressive Insurance and $3,001 to Bill Jacobsen Trucking.

Tran was convicted by a jury in June 2026 on charges of felony insurance fraud, felony vandalism, and reckless driving. 

The charges against Tram stem from an incident that occurred on January 28, 2025, on Highway 101 near the Alum Rock Ave. in Santa Clara, California.

The incident was caught on the truck driver’s dash cam.

“Furious because he felt he had been cut off, Tran caught up to the semi-truck at the Story Road underpass and “brake checked” two times, slamming on his brakes just in front of the truck. The semi-truck driver tried to change lanes to avoid the Jeep, but Tran maneuvered his vehicle to stay in front of the truck and “brake checked” the truck a third time. This time, the truck driver was unable to stop and rear-ended the Jeep,” SCCDAO said.

A 911 caller reported the Tran’s reckless driving, fearing that it would cause an accident.

SCCDAO said that Tran also called 911 and reported a hit-and-run caused by the truck driver.

“In his statement to police, Tran lied and said he was stopped for traffic when he was rear-ended. The defendant then made an insurance claim where he omitted his unsafe driving,” SCCDAO said.

“Road rage. Reckless driving. Insurance fraud. This person made a lot of bad decisions,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Count to 10 before you commit fraud in Santa Clara County.”

“Road rage doesn’t pay,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “Crimes like these jeopardize public safety and increase insurance cost for consumers and businesses. I applaud the work of our detectives and investigators which is essential in protecting California drivers and holding offenders accountable.”