Washington Auto Accident News
January 1, 2010
Drunk, High, "Texting" Teen Kills Bellingham Pedestrian
New Years Day, Mark S. Christian was hit and killed by 18-year-old Sean F. Crissy, who admitted he was drinking, taking hallucinogenic drugs, and “texting” while driving.
Pedestrian Mark S. Christian left his home for a walk on New Years Day. His wife, Cheryl Christian, reported him missing when he didn’t return three hours later. Police officers responding to her call launched a search and found an unoccupied van in a park near where Mark typically walked. The van had windshield damage and had just been reported as stolen by the owner. Police felt that the two incidents might be related, and began searching the area. Mark’s body was found near Chuckanut Drive, just a few blocks from his home.
The owner of the van, Franklin Crissy, told police that his son, Sean F. Crissy, an 18- year-old high school senior, had been driving the van and texted him that the van had been stolen. Police searched for and located Sean at a friend’s house. When questioned, Sean told police that he had been driving the van when it hit a man. Sean allegedly confessed that he had been drinking, had taken half an ounce of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and had been texting on his cell phone when the accident happened. After the accident, Crissy abandoned the van at a local park and told his father it had been stolen. He did not call for help for the man but did text his friends that he had been in an accident.
Sean Crissy was arrested, charged with felony hit-and-run and vehicular homicide, and bail was set for $400,000. Authorities have taken a blood sample to identify the presence of alcohol and drugs in Crissy’s system.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner determined that Mark Christian died of blood loss from head injuries, but couldn’t determine if Christian would have survived if he had received immediate medical attention. Mark Christian is survived by his wife Cheryl and two children.
UPDATE: Sean F. Crissy pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular homicide and hit-and-run fatality in Whatcom County Superior Court on Monday, April 19, 2010. He was sentenced 4.5 years in prison.
Brett & Coats represents victims of drunk and drugged drivers. If you or someone you know has been injured in a drunk-driving accident, please contact us.
November 29, 2009
Four Killed in Worst Drunk Driving Crash in Snohomish County in 14 Years
Four people were killed on Sunday, November 29, when they were struck in their car by a drunk driver on Highway 9 near Marysville, Snohomish County, in a crash described as the deadliest drunk-driving related accident in the county since 1995.
Brad Agerup, Melissa Agerup, Hilda Woods and Thomas Woods died instantly when their vehicle was broadsided by 27-year-old Matthew C. McDonald who was speeding and failed to heed a stop sign. After the crash, the McDonald fled the scene, but later surrendered himself to police. He admitted to investigators that he had consumed eight beers, and his breath sample taken two hours after the accident measured a blood-alcohol level of 0.123 percent, 1.5 times the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He suffered minor injuries that were treated at a local hospital, and then he was booked into the Snohomish County Jail. McDonald is being held for investigation of four counts of vehicular homicide, and his bail is set at one million dollars.
The tragic and preventable loss of four beloved family and community members is reverberating throughout Snohomish County. Brad Agerup was a popular teacher and coach at Mariner High School; for 26 years he served as a physical education teacher and athletic trainer for the Mukilteo School District. Melissa Agerup worked as an ophthalmic assistant. Hilda Woods was recently retired from her job with the Lake Washington School District; Thomas Woods worked in computer sales.
In an ironic twist, the medical examiner, an eight-year employee of the county who was called to the scene of the crash, was arrested and cited for driving under the influence of alcohol, after a Washington State Patrol trooper smelled alcohol on his breath. The examiner was on call at the time of the crash, and was driving a county-owned vehicle. He is currently on paid leave pending the outcome of the State Patrol investigation and an internal investigation by the medical examiner’s office.
Drunk driving is the leading cause of traffic deaths in Washington State and across the country. Approximately 11,000 people die in drunk driving related accidents each year in the United States. Between 1993 and 2008, there were 712 fatal drunk driving accidents in Snohomish County alone. Brett & Coats has successfully representing numerous victims of drunk drivers. If you or someone you know has been injured in a drunk-driving accident, please contact us. We sue drunk drivers.
For more information on the accident, go to http://www.heraldnet.com.
September 20, 2009
Driver Charged With DUI After Chuckanut Crash
Charles Hill was riding his motorcycle on Chuckanut Drive when he lost control and was thrown from his ride. He was taken to St. Joseph Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. Investigators concluded that alcohol contributed to the accident, and Hill has been charged with DUI. For more information, go to www.bellinghamherald.com.
Approximately three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related collision at some point in their lives.
Brett & Coats represented Hailey French when she was seriously injured by a drunk driver. A jury awarded Ms. French $5.5 million. If you or someone you know has been injured by a drunk driver, please contact us.
September 20, 2009
Two Injured in Bellingham Accident
Drugs and/or alcohol, speed and reckless driving were all factors in a crash on Dewey Road in Bellingham. Ryan O'Mara was driving his Jeep early on September 20th, when he swerved from the road, hit a tree and nearly rolled the vehicle. Chandra Dodson was a passenger in the Jeep and sustained major injuries. Both O'Mara and Dodson were taken to St. Joseph Hospital, but O'Mara was released after minor injuries were treated. O'Mara was booked into Whatcom County Jail; he will likely be charged with DUI and an investigation of vehicular assault is pending. For more information, go to www.bellinghamherald.com.
Fifty to seventy-five percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive.
Brett & Coats represented the estate of a young man killed by a driver under the influence, his estate was awarded $975,000. If you or someone you know has been injured by a drunk driver, please contact us.
September 13, 2009
Three Injured in Cle Elum Collision
Caroll Herndon was driving her Volkswagon southbound on Teanaway Road near Cle Elum when she failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with Susanne Grams' Dodge Ram truck. Although Susanne was uninjured, her passenger, Mike Brooke suffered whiplash. Both Herndon and her passenger, Elrene Zwiefelhofer were injured and taken to Harborview Medical Center. Drugs or alcohol were suspected factors in the crash. For more information, go to www.yakima-herald.com.
A first time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested.
Brett & Coats represented Hailey French when she was seriously injured by a drunk driver who was already on probation. A jury awarded Ms. French $5.5 million. If you or someone you know has been injured by a drunk driver, please contact us.
Fatalities Involving Teen Drivers
It is well established that teen drivers are one of the most dangerous groups of drivers statistically. Auto accidents are consistently the leading cause of death for teenagers. Drivers age 15-20 accounted for 12.9% of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes and 16% of all the drivers involved in police-reported crashes in 2006. 16 year olds are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.
A recent USA Today article provided the following statistics regarding deaths in motor vehicle crashes involving teen drivers from 2003-2008, compiled by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
| Alabama - 1,342 | Missouri - 1,428 |
| Alaska - 99 | Montana - 241 |
| Arizona - 1,194 | Nebraska - 390 |
| Arkansas - 776 | Nevada - 399 |
| California - 4,486 | New Hampshire - 161 |
| Colorado - 729 | New Jersey - 692 |
| Connecticut - 321 | New Mexico - 468 |
| Delaware - 174 | New York - 1,412 |
| Washington, D.C. - 43 (through 2007) | North Carolina - 1,818 |
| Florida - 3,659 | North Dakota - 134 |
| Georgia - 1,825 | Ohio - 1,542 |
| Hawaii - 150 | Oklahoma - 896 |
| Idaho - 300 | Oregon - 484 |
| Illinois - 1,563 | Pennsylvania - 1,780 |
| Indiana - 1,141 | Rhode Island - 108 |
| Iowa - 536 | South Carolina - 1,014 |
| Kansas - 533 | South Dakota - 194 |
| Kentucky - 991 | Tennessee - 1,394 |
| Louisiana - 1,076 | Texas - 4,219 |
| Maine - 223 | Utah - 353 |
| Maryland - 682 | Vermont - 99 |
| Massachussetts - 508 | Virginia - 1,067 |
| Michigan - 1,358 | Washington - 682 |
| Minnesota - 695 | West Virginia - 379 |
| Mississippi - 1,002 | Wisconsin - 940 |
| Wyoming - 152 |
There is federal legislation underway to create a national graduated driver licensing law, called The Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act, which would require new drivers to adhere to strict standards and safety policies aimed at reducing the startling statistics presented above. These new standards include establishing a 3-stage process before allowing a new driver to receive an unrestricted license, prohibiting unsupervised driving at night, and prohibiting non-emergency use of cell phones during the initial phases of the restrictions. Certainly these new restrictions will help ensure that young, inexperienced drivers keep their attention on the road, and will help reduce the chance that teens will be involved in accidents that result in these alarming statistics.
The Dangers of High Speed Police Chases
We see in the news frequently stories of police chases that end in crashes, injuries, and deaths. Usually these stories involve law enforcement officers who are chasing suspects who have been stopped for a violation, or who refuse to stop, undertaking chases at high speeds through neighborhoods and on freeways, resulting in injury and death for innocent bystanders. A traffic accident is the most common reason that chases are terminated in an urban pursuit.
Clearly, high-speed police pursuits are an important safety problem. Research shows how dangerous these chases are:
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008 334 people died in high-speed police chases; of those, 94 were innocent bystanders. (NHTSA's figures do not include all deaths as a result of police chases and first-responder calls; it is estimated there are at least an additional 30% more deaths that are undocumented because NHTSA uses a voluntary tracking system.)
- It is estimated that there are approximately 70,000 police car chases each year in the U.S.
- 40% of those car-chase cases end in a collision.
- 20% of those cases end in serious injury.
- 1% result in a death.
- On average in the U.S., police chases kill at least three innocent bystanders each week.
- On average, one police officer is killed every eight weeks in such a crash.
Statistics on why suspects run illustrate some factors that underscore the dangerous nature of the pursuit:
- 46% of suspects are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
- 32% are driving stolen vehicles.
- 17% have drugs in their possession.
- 16% were involved in criminal activity, 12% of these from violent crimes.
(please go to www.pursuitsafety.org for statistics and references)
Do the benefits of apprehending suspects outweigh the clear danger to the public and law enforcement personnel? Opponents of more restrictive chase policies argue that bans on pursuits will encourage lawlessness. But experience tells us otherwise. For example, after the Orlando Police Department adopted the country’s most restrictive chase policy, they have reported that in the 12 months since the policy was adopted, the Orlando PD has made 40,460 traffic stops. The department had 11 pursuits and 107 suspects who refused to stop. In summary, 118 suspects fled and 40,342 obeyed the order to stop. Lawlessness is clearly not the result.
Proponents of restrictive chase policies believe that lives will be saved if chases are limited to suspects of violent crime who pose an immediate danger to the community. Increased criminal penalties for suspects who run from law enforcement, increased training for law enforcement officers on when and how to engage in a pursuit, and increased use of good old-fashioned police work to track and locate suspects can have a higher success rate than engaging in high-speed pursuits, and certainly will reduce the danger to the public.
For further information and research by Dr. Geoffrey Alpert, Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina, go to http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/164831.pdf. For more information on the results of police pursuits, go to http://pursuitwatch.org.
For more information on serious
personal injury claims, please see our
Automobile Accidents page.
