Livermore Motorcyclist Killed in Crash; Son Was Homicide Victim

LIVERMORE — Authorities have identified the 50-year-old woman who was killed after she allegedly ran a red light on her motorcycle and collided with a motorist in Livermore. Janelle Margaret Benson Weispfenning ran a red light near Isabel Avenue and Stanley Boulevard around 1 p.m.

on April 28, colliding with an 87-year-old woman driving a Tesla sedan. Benson Weispfenning died from her injuries, and the 87-year-old woman suffered a minor head injury, police said.

The crash remains under investigation, but authorities have stated that the 87-year-old woman had the right of way and cooperated with the investigation. An obituary for Benson Weispfenning describes her as a Livermore native and a "jack of all trades" with a knack for rooting out fraud as a bank employee and a passion for finding animals "forever homes." She had been working as a tow truck operator to help stranded motorists.

"She liked surprising motorists when this 5-foot-2-inch small lady arrived to assist and tow the vehicle," the obituary says, adding, "Her kindness touched countless lives, and her wisdom, generosity, and compassion will be missed by so many." Benson Weispfenning’s son, Jacob Benson, was the victim of a 2018 homicide. He was stabbed to death on July 4 that year in Tracy, and she faced his killer in court on the day he was sentenced to 15 years in state prison.

"For me and my family, the nightmare will never end," she said in court, according to media reports.