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Motorcyclist in Washington faces felony charges

On Behalf of | Aug 19, 2015 | Criminal Defense |

A Kelso motorcyclist is facing serious charges following a crash on Interstate 5, according to local news sources. The Washington State Patrol arrested the 42-year-old man after a car accident that caused damage to another vehicle and sent him to the hospital. He now faces felony charges, including eluding a police officer and driving under the influence.

According to the limited accident report, the man was heading southbound on his motorcycle on I-5 around 9:42 p.m. the night of Aug. 10 when the crash happened. He is believed to have been traveling at a high rate of speed when he collided with a semi trailer driven by a 49-year-old out-of-state man. Thankfully, the second driver was not injured in the crash.

However, the motorcyclist did not fare so well. He was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered injuries that were not further specified. He has since been charged with DUI and evasion, though the nature of his alleged evasion is not clear from the accident report. The report also did not mention any roadside sobriety or breath tests that may have been taken to corroborate the police estimation of his condition.

If the man was injured and taken to a hospital, a blood test may have been taken there as part of the ongoing investigation. However, Washington prosecutors will still have to prove the results of such a test in a court of law in order before the man can be convicted on the felony charges. In addition, the defense will likely want to focus on the details surrounding the eluding charge, including what actions the police claim to have taken to signal the motorcyclist and demand that he stop.

Source: chronline.com, “Kelso Motorcyclist Faces Felony Charge in I-5 Crash South of Chehalis“, Aug. 12, 2015

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