A Washington man has been arrested following the death of a pedestrian that he allegedly hit with his vehicle. The 27-year-old has been taken into police custody for several offenses, possibly as a result of driving under the influence according to officials. The man is also accused of hitting three other people as well as several vehicles at the time of the accident.
According to reports, the accused man left an establishment at around 1:45 a.m. and then climbed into his full-size pickup truck. Police claim that the man then accelerated abruptly and may have been unable to maintain control of his vehicle. Three people who were ambling down a sidewalk were struck by the man. Moreover, a fourth victim was allegedly struck and killed while he was on the opposing side of the street.
According to witnesses, the driver then rapidly traveled across a nearby parking area and wound up smashing into a sturdy barrier that separated the area from a drop off of several feet. At that time, a large cadre of bystanders apparently enveloped the man and held him until police could intervene. The report did not elaborate on the severity of injuries that any of the surviving victims may have suffered.
The Washington man is currently in custody and is facing charges of vehicular homicide and assault that — according to law enforcement officials — may possibly have stemmed from the man driving under the influence of intoxicating substances. Police at the scene reported detecting the odor of said substances, but they did not mention if any follow-up testing was conducted. This man is presumed innocent, and he is entitled to fight the charges against him. He and his defense team will have every reasonable chance to challenge the admissibility of any prosecution evidence. The serious consequences that a conviction could educe require that a carefully planned defense be prepared that both protects the man’s rights while seeks a favorable result.
Source: kirotv.com, “Police: Suspected drunk driver hits four people, killing one”, Maria Guerrero, May 26, 2014