Fight A DUI

Deana Jarrett of Woodinville, WA registered a 0.47 percent BAC after hitting two cars on April 11, 2007, a State Patrol officer reported. The figure - well into the potentially legal range - represents the highest BAC ever measured after an arrest in Washington. Shockingly, the April 11th arrest was Jarrett’s second in as many days - she was arrested the day before in Redmond, WA, where she refused a breath test during a traffic stop.

The Saratogian has the details of a pending case involving a 56 year old driver - Kay VanAvery - awaiting charges stemming from a crash resulting in a fatality. VanAvery pulled out of a parking lot in front of two motorcyclists, who were thrown from their bikes and subsequently transported to the hospital where one of the men died.

Interestingly, because the first breath test revealed a legal (0.06%) BAC, the DA must wait for a blood test before filing charges. If the blood test reveals a slightly higher result of 0.07%, the DA is expected to file a charge of driving while impaired, vehicular manslaughter, and vehicular assault. If the blood test is less than 0.07%, the only charges will be vehicle and traffic violations, which carry a much lighter penalty.