A 15-year-old Lopez Island boy accused of causing a high-speed
collision in which a Canadian man was killed while jogging on Lopez
Sound Road in late July, and that left two others seriously injured,
pleaded innocent on Thursday to six separate criminal offenses, including vehicular homicide.
The boy was released on a $10,000 bail/bond pending trial and under
court orders that require him to attend school, have law-abiding
behavior, not get behind the wheel of any motorized vehicle, and to
abide by daily curfew of 4 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Judge John Linde, who, in addition to his duties as superior court judge, presides over juvenile court, noted the gravity of injuries, including a fatality, that resulted from the collision and the seriousness of the charges in imposing the conditions of release sought by prosecutors.
Clad in a powder-blue long-sleeve dress shirt and beige slacks, the 15-year-old, flanked by his parents and attorney, gave clear but brief responses as he pleaded innocent to each of the six criminal offenses at an arraignment hearing spanning roughly 45 minutes. He faces one count of vehicular homicide, a Class A felony, two counts of vehicular assault, a Class B felony, and three counts of reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor.
Trial is slated to begin Nov. 2 in San Juan County Juvenile Court.
According to court documents, prosecutors intend to seek penalties
beyond the standard range of sentencing set by the state if the boy is convicted of any or all charges. The standard range for the most
serious of the six offenses, vehicular homicide, a Class A felony, is 15-36 weeks in juvenile detention. The standard range of sentence for vehicular assault, a Class B felony, is up to 30 days in juvenile
detention, up to 150 hours of community restitution, up to 12 months
of probation and a fine of up to $150.