Washington Injury Attorney Blog

Three young men were killed in a car accident sometime Saturday night when the BMW they were riding in crashed into a tree in the Spokane Heights area of Spokane at 44th and Eastern.

According to a report on KREM.com, the BMW was traveling at speeds of up to 90mph on a dark and windy road where the speed limit is posted as 25mph when it crashed into a pine tree.

Police believe alcohol may have been involved in the car accident as they found a whiskey bottle in the wreck.

There were no witnesses to the accident and the car was cold when police arrived at the scene around 5:00 Sunday morning.

The names of the victims have not been released but police believe two were 21-year-old males from Spokane.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent the victims of drunken drivers and their family.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Gregory A. Ross, 31, of Renton has been charged with vehicular homicide in the car accident deaths of Jessica Stenseth, 23, and her passenger, Kiana Cormier.

The King County prosecutor's office says that Ross was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he ran a red light and hit the car the two young women were riding in.

The police report said that Ross failed field sobriety tests, fell asleep during questioning and was found with a crack pipe in his pocket. Ross is being held on $1 million bail.

Ross' prior criminal record includes convictions for fourth-degree assault, third-degree theft, harassment and false reporting. 

Washington vehicle code RCW 46.61.520 provides that a driver can be charged with vehicular homicide if someone is killed in a car accident and the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent the victims of drunken drivers and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Source: The Seattle Times
Suspect in double-fatality wreck charged with vehicular homicide
by Jennifer Sullivan
Posted August 27, 2010 at 3:12PM

The Bellevue Reporter reports that a 31-year-old Bellevue woman was stopped by the Washington State Patrol for suspicion of driving under the influence on the morning of her wedding.

According to the article, the bride-to-be was clocked at miles of over 90mph on Interstate 405 near NE Eighth Street in Bellevue.

The woman's BAC (blood-alcohol-content) was measured at twice the legal limit which 0.08%. She told the trooper that stopper her that she was returning from her bachelor party. It is fortunate that she wasn't involved in a serious motor vehicle accident that harmed herself or another person.

The woman will be charged in King County District Court.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunken drivers and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Patricia A. Lambine, 46, of Greenacres, Washington was killed in a bicycle accident on U.S. Highway 41 near Blanchard in northern Idaho on Saturday morning around 6:30am.

According to a report by The Seattle Times, Lambine was riding a bicycle in support of a runner who was running a leg of the 185 mile team relay race from Spokane, Washington to Sandpoint, Idaho.

Lambine was killed and an unidentified 17-year-old runner was injured when a vehicle driven by Bowden S. Kahuhu, 31, of Newport, Washington, crossed the center line and onto the shoulder and hit the two. It is suspected that Kahuhu may have been driving drunk at the time.

Both Lambine and the teen were wearing reflective gear when they were hit.

Kahuhu faces Vehicular Homicide charges. Washington State Vehicle Code RCW 46.61.520 says that Vehicular Homicide can be charged if someone is killed in a motor vehicle accident and the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving recklessly, or driving without regard for the safety of others.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunken driving and their family. We have more than 30 years experience representing families with their wrongful death cases.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Derek King, 18, of Federal Way was killed in a car accident last night when a suspected drunk driver rear-ended the car he was riding in on Interstate 5 in Tukwila. King was to turn 19 today and was scheduled to graduate from Decatur High School on Saturday according to a report by Seattle's KING 5 TV.

The car that King was riding in also had at least two other teens inside when it was rear-ended by an SUV. Police suspect that the driver of the SUV may have been under the influence of alcohol. Two teens and the driver of the SUV were injured in the accident. The condition of the injured is not known at this time.

If the driver of the SUV was intoxicated, he could be charged with Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault. RCW 46.61.520, Vehicular Homicide, can be charged if someone if a motorist was driving drunk and was involved in a motor vehicle accident in which another person died.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed. Washington State has a wrongful death statute which allows the family of someone who was killed due to the negligence of another to file a civil suit on behalf of their deceased loved one.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Two teenagers have been killed and two other teens are hospitalized with serious injuries after a a single-car accident on Interstate 84 in Elmore County, Idaho, around 3am on Sunday morning.

Kody Drake, 19, of Ely, Nevada was driving when he lost control of his vehicle around mile marker 166 and rolled the vehicle. Drake and his passenger Amy Young, 18, of Bliss, Idaho, were thrown from the vehicle and killed.

Kallie Hurst, 20, and Mollee Shrum, 17, both of Glenns Ferry were airlifted to Saint Alphonsus Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

None of the four teens were wearing seat belts.

Police are investigating the cause of the motor vehicle accident but they believe alcohol may have been a factor.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

A 40-year-old Aberdeen man has been killed in a single-vehicle accident and the driver of the car he was riding in, a 48-year-old man, also from Aberdeen, has been arrested and faces charges of Vehicular Homicide.

According to a report in The Olympian, the men, along with a 20-year-old passenger, were riding in a 2001 Jeep Wrangler that went off the road and rolled into the Wynoochee River around 9:50pm on Saturday night.

The driver and the younger passenger were able to escape the car but the 48-year-old man was unable to; rescue crews retrieved his body at a later time.

The driver faces charges of Vehicular Homicide because he is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents. We also represent the family of those killed with their wrongful death lawsuits if the death of their loved one was caused by the negligent or criminal act of another.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Camille A. Spink, 28, of Bothell has been charged with four felonies in the drunk driving car accident in Everett that killed Sheena Blair, 24, and Martin Ramirez, 19, both of Tacoma in February. Two 18-year-old men were seriously injured in the car accident and they underwent surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for broken bones.

According to the HeraldNet of Everett, Spink's blood alcohol level was .21 when she drove the wrong way on Broadway and ran head on into the car carrying four people.

Charges were filed in Snohomish County Superior Court including two counts of Vehicular Homicide and two counts of Vehicular Assault. These charges can be made if a person is killed or a person is injured a motor vehicle accident and the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Spink's blood was tested after the accident and testing showed that she was more than twice the legal limit for intoxication. The blood test also confirmed that she had marijuana in her system.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents caused by drunken drivers and the family of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

A Skagit County motor vehicle accident seriously injured two men in Skagit County around 6:52pm on Friday night.

According to a report in the Sky Valley Chronicle, Derek I. Rheinhardt, 18, of La Conner, was headed eastbound on Young Road when he ran a stop sign and hit the 1995 Dodge Ram driven by Richard L. Houghton, 57, of Anacortes.

Houghton was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and Rheinhardt was taken to Valley General Hospital.

Rheinhardt may be charged with Vehicular Assault because the Washington State Patrol believes alcohol or drugs were a factor in the accident; They are currently investigating. Washington state vehicle code RCW 46.61.522, states that Vehicular Assault can be charged if a person is seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident and the driver was intoxicated.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents and the family of those who have been killed. We aggressively fight for compensation for the victims of drunk drivers.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Kelly Weaver, 21, of Richland was injured in a single-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 82 near Union Gap early Sunday morning.

According to a report in the Yakima Herald-Republic, Weaver over-corrected after her car drifted off to the right side of the road into a construction zone and she then over-corrected and rolled her vehicle.

Weaver was released from the hospital after being treated. She is currently being investigated for possible driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously in car accidents and the family of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Charchleen Hendrix , 36, was arrested for investigation of drunken driving and vehicular assault after she was responsible for a car accident that involved a pedestrian, a parked car and a motel.

According to a report in The Spokesman-Review, Hendrix was driving drunk when she struck a 40-year-old man who was standing in a motel parking lot. She also hit a parked car and ran into a motel building. She finally struck a pole which prevented her car from driving away.

All of this happened at Al's Motel on Division Street in Spokane.

The unidentified pedestrian was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunken drivers and their family. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington State Patrol, in a media release, reports they conducted a driving under the influence (DUI) emphasis patrol in Clark County on March 20,2010.

The Washington Patrol, working with the Clark County Sheriff Office, the Vancouver Police Department, the Battle Ground Police Department, the Camas Police Department and the Washougal Police Department worked together to target drunk drivers.

On March 20, the combined efforts of law enforcement made 12 DUI arrests, 2 minor in possession arrests, a felony drug arrest, 10 misdemeanor drug arrests, 2 felony and 1 misdemeanor warrant arrests and four driving on a suspended or revoked license in Clark County.

Aggressive targeting of drunken drivers no doubt saves lives. In the United States, it is estimated that more than 500,000 injury accidents and 18,000 traffic fatalities are alcohol-related.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunken drivers and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) says there has been an increase in the number of driving under the influence (DUI) arrests they have made during daytime hours so far this year.

Already, the WSP has arrested 45 DUI drivers by March 12 as compared with 49 through April of last year reports King5.com.

The WSP has added troopers to areas where they see the most DUI arrests.

Typically, there are more DUI arrests between the hours of 11pm and 3am though people can and do consume alcohol and drive at all hours of the day; the problem of daytime DUI is more common than one might think. During daytime hours, however, drunk drivers may be more difficult to detect because of the traffic flow.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a series of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunken drivers and their families. With our help, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages due to a car accident caused by a drunken driver.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington State Liquor Control board has cited two Spokane bars for over-serving a young driver resulting in a fatal head-on car accident on I-90.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, the Board has cited Lions Lair, and are seeking a 5 day liquor license suspension, and BLVD, and are seeking a 30 day liquor license suspension.

Sterling Kruger, age 22 of Davenport, had visited both bars before driving drunk and being involved in a a head-on collision on December 17, 2009. Kruger was killed in the accident along with two of his passengers.

In civihttp://www.washingtoninjuryattorneyblog.com/l court, a bar, restaurant, bowling alley or other commecial estabilishment can be held legally liable if they served alcoholic beverages to an obvioulsy intoxicated person and that person subsequently injuries or kills another person due to their intoxication. This legal concept is called Dram Shop Liability. The family of the deceased would then have recourse to file suit against the bar or restaurant under Washigton's wrongful death statute.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney Blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been been the victims of drunken drivers and the families of those killed by drunken drivers.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Christopher Paul Lilly, age 25, of Concrete, was killed and his passenger, Brice D. Kucera, age 21, also of Concrete, was injured when their vehicle went off the road and hit a utility pole. The single-car accident occurred around 4:35am on Saturday on Highway 20 west of Concrete.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, both men were ejected in the accident as neither was wearing a seat belt.

Police believe that Lilly may have been driving under the influence (DUI) at the time of the motor vehicle accident as Kucera told them that both men had been drinking in Bellingham and were on their way home.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and the families of those killed. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) was awarded the Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency Award by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) for its efforts in 2008 to remove drunk and impaired drivers from the road according to WSP media release.

In 2008, WSP troopers arrested 20,240 impaired drivers which was 45% of all DUI drivers arrested by all law enforcement agencies. Coinciding with the efforts to remove drunk drivers from the roads, the number of fatal car accidents related to drunk driving fell from 10.4 percent in 2007 to 9.4 percent in 2008 in Washington. The legal limit for driving under the influence in Washington state is 0.08%.

The WSP has put into place many systems which help them remove drunk drivers from the road. These include emphasis patrols on weekends and over holidays, targeting aggressive drivers, air patrols and public education.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent victims of drunk drivers and their families. We aggressively work to help victims receive compensation for their damages including medical costs and pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) calls their program "X52." What does "X52" mean? Extra DUI patrols every weekend of the year. The WTSC has given local law enforcement agencies $450,000 to fund extra patrols on the weekends in order to reduce speeding and DUI car accidents which cause so many fatalities and serious injuries.

In Washington state, every year approximately 250 people are killed due to driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. More than 40,000 motorists are arrested for DUI offenses every year in our state.

What are the penalties for DUI drivers?

• license suspension
  
• jail time
  
• up to $5,000 in fines
  
• ignition interlock devices

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents caused by drunk drivers and the families of those killed. We aggressively represent drunk driving victims so that they can be fully compensated for their losses.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Olympian reports that Andy Zapolski, a 13-year-old boy from Idaho has died from injuries he sustained last week in a go-cart accident. John E. Kautz, age 39, has been charged with felony vehicular manslaughter in the boy's death.

The go-cart accident occurred on October 23rd when the two were driving go-carts on a city street. Kautz, who was intoxicated at the time of the accident, rear-ended the go-cart driven by Andy Zapolski. Zapolski suffered severe head trauma and died three days later at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Kautz is charged with vehicular manslaughter which is equivalent to vehicular homicide in Washington state. It can be charged if a person is killed and a person was operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In this case, the motor vehicle was a go-cart but the same charges apply if the person was operating a motorcycle, boat, auto or truck.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents and the family of those killed.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Olympia police have arrested Brandon J. Roth, 26, on multiple charges including DUI, assault and hit and run with injury after he hit a couple of pedestrians with his car in the Olympia Town Tavern early Sunday morning. One victim was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital for treatment of injuries and the other victim left the scene.

Police were called to the Town Tavern around 12:30 am Sunday after 911 calls reported a black Mitsubishi striking pedestrians reports The Olympian. Roth fled the Tavern parking lot but police pursued him and arrested him at Kaiser Road and 13th Avenue Southwest.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington State Patrol reports that Mandalynn E Summers, 18, of Buckley was seriously injured in a car accident when the car she was driving was rear-ended and she was involved in a four-car pile-up just west of the Puyallup fairgrounds.

According to the WSP media patrol, Cynthia S. Rice of Enumclaw was driving too fast for road conditions and she rear-ended the car driven by Summers causing a chain reaction car accident which involved two other cars. Luckily, the people in the other two cars were not injured.

The WSP report says that Rice may have under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. They arrested her and may charge her with her with Vehicular Assault. According to vehicle code RCW 46.61.522, Vehicular Assault can be charged if a person was seriously injured in a car accident and the driver was driving recklessly, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or driving without the regard for the safety of others.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.