White Swan Man Dies in Rollover Car Accident
A White Swan man was killed in a single-car accident Friday night, when his 2001 Jeep Wrangler rolled over in a field.
Walter Gabriel Manuel, 50, was driving westbound on West Wapato Road about 10:30 p.m. and apparently lost control while making a left turn onto Brownstown Road, according to a news release from the Washington State Patrol.
The State Patrol said the Jeep veered off the roadway onto a field, then rolled over, ejecting Manuel. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
Manuel was pronounced dead at the scene. State Patrol officials said they believe he was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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Teen Guilty of Fleeing Scene That Injured Officer
EVERETT — The teenage son of a Snohomish County Superior Court judge confessed Friday to driving drunk and fleeing from a crash that injured an Edmonds police officer last year.
Peter Anthony Lucas, 19, pleaded guilty to running from the scene of an injury accident. That’s a felony. He also pleaded guilty to drunken driving, a gross misdemeanor. He was sentenced to seven months in jail.
Lucas will be able to serve two months on home electronic monitoring on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he is a pre-med student. Another month was converted to 240 hours of community service. He may be able to serve the remaining four months on work release, according to court documents filed late Friday afternoon.
Lucas is the son of Superior Court Judge Eric Lucas.
Former Snohomish County Prosecutor Janice Ellis requested that Island County Prosecutor Gregory Banks handle the case to avoid a potential appearance of a conflict of interest. King County Superior Court Judge Bruce Hilyer oversaw Friday’s plea and sentencing.
Lucas initially was charged in July with four felonies, including vehicular assault, assault on an officer and attempting to elude police. Prosecutors alleged that Lucas rammed an Edmonds police officer’s patrol car during a pursuit on New Year’s Day, 2009. The officer received substantial injuries to his neck that caused him to be out of work for three months.
The incident began when an Edmonds officer attempted to stop a Honda Civic. The driver stopped in a parking lot, then sped toward the officer’s car, according to court papers.
The impact of the collision stalled the patrol car and injured the officer. The Honda left the scene. A few minutes later another Edmonds officer spotted two men attempting to change a flat tire on a damaged Honda Civic. The officer ordered the men to stop.
Peter Lucas got behind the wheel and tried to ram a police car but instead lost control and crashed, according to court papers. He was subdued with an electric shock from a stun gun.
Lucas earlier had been drinking at a party. He got scared when the officer attempted to stop him, according to his attorney Laura Martin, with the Snohomish County Public Defender’s Association.
He was “scared for his future, for what his parents would do to him for drinking and driving, for how this would affect his schooling. He made a grave mistake.” Martin wrote in court papers.
Lucas had no previous criminal history. An assessment revealed no drug or alcohol addiction, according to court papers.
“Mr. Lucas will forever be a convicted felon,” Martin wrote. “This conviction, in and of itself, will have dire consequences for his future.”
If you have been injured in an Everett, WA car accident I urge you to contact a free consultation with Everett Car Accident Attorney Rob Kornfeld. With over 30 years experience dealing with Washington state personal injury lawsuits you can be assured he can make any possible compensation happen.
Child Injured in Dog Attack
At least one state legislator is thinking about new laws restricting violent animals after Tuesday’s dog attack in Lithonia that left an 8-year-old girl in critical condition.
State Sen. Vincent Fort said Wednesday that he is tired of seeing the reports of dog attacks.
“Every time a child who ought be protected is attacked by one of these pit bulls in the savage manner that we’ve seen makes me think its time that we do something,” Fort said.
“Is an outright ban too strong?” asked CBS Atlanta’s Bernard Watson.
“Probably so. We need to look at a full range of options, including liabilities on owners,” Fort answered.
The attack happened Tuesday afternoon while Erin Ingraham was playing in the yard of her home on Margaret Court, police said. Ingraham remained in critical condition Wednesday at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
Charges were pending Wednesday afternoon against the dogs’ owners.
CBS Atlanta spoke to the girl’s father on the phone Tuesday night. He choked back tears as he said his daughter wasn’t doing well.
“I think that this is horrible, horrible,” said neighbor Veronica Cook..
Cook and her son Kahlil Smoot couldn’t believe Ingraham was viciously attacked by two neighborhood dogs.
“She’s a sweet little girl,” said Smoot.
Police said Ingraham was playing in her yard when two dogs, which resemble pit bulls, attacked her. A neighbor called 911, but not before the dogs severely wounded both of Ingraham’s arms.
“Three or four minutes being attacked by two vicious dogs can seem like eternity,” said DeKalb County police Officer Jason Gagnon.
Gagnon said the first responding officer had to physically pull the dogs off the girl. Then when one of the dogs lunged at the officer, he shot and killed the dog. The other dog ran away and was later captured. That dog will be put down, investigators said.
“It’s a terrible thing to happen especially to a small kid that can’t defend themselves,” said neighbor Anita Jones.
Jones said she tried to capture the dogs on several occasions, and has called animal control about them.
“They came in my yard and mauled my cat to death,” said Jones.
Other neighbors said they’ve attacked them too.
“They’ve chased children through the neighborhood. They’re always roaming around through the neighborhood,” said Cook.
Smoot said he’s been afraid of the dogs because they’ve bit his ankles before.
Compensation should happen for this family! If you have suffered dog attack injuries in Everett, WA we can assist when it comes to financial compensation. Contact our Everett, WA Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
Family Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit with 2 Nursing Homes
After nearly a full week of trial, a Missoula family and two nursing homes settled a wrongful death case out of court this week, coming to terms that were “agreeable to all parties,” according to a statement from attorneys in the case.
All matters against the nursing homes have been dismissed, though neither party can disclose the settlement amount because those terms are confidential.
Paul Teagle, a spokesman for both Riverside Health Care Center and the Village Health Care Center, the two nursing homes involved in the lawsuit, said in a statement that he was pleased with the settlement agreement.
“We are pleased we could reach an agreement with the Seewald family and appreciate the overwhelming support received from our staff, residents and their families,” Teagle said. “We place our residents at the center of everything we do, and are sympathetic to the family for their loss of a loved one.”
Family members of the late Ralph Seewald alleged that the nursing homes acted negligently when they failed to provide adequate health care for the 87-year-old man, who died in November 2005 of a blood infection. Seewald fell and fractured his neck during a transfer from his wheelchair, an accident that left him bedridden; he then developed severe pressure ulcers that worsened over a period of months, and led to a fatal case of gangrene in his leg.
Both the wheelchair transfer and the treatment of his bedsores were inadequate, the lawsuit alleged, and fell outside the standard of care promised to the family.
Following the settlement, Roger Seewald, the personal representative of his father’s estate, expressed satisfaction with the agreement. Seewald also expressed his appreciation for all the support his family received throughout this process.
The lawsuit, filed in Missoula District Court, named as defendants: Riverside Health Care Center; Village Health Care Center; the Goodman Group, which is the parent company that operates both Missoula nursing homes; and Dr. Raymond Howard, the physician assigned to oversee Seewald’s care.
The Seewald family sought relief for negligence, medical malpractice, wrongful death, deceit, breach of contract, fraud and others. Through the lawsuit, the family sought compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, severe emotional distress, grief, sorrow, medical and funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and other damages caused by the defendants’ alleged negligence. The family also sought punitive damages.
Rob Kornfeld is an Everett Wrongful Death Attorney who handles wrongful death claims in the areas of medical malpractice, construction, maritime, motor vehicle collisions, nursing home and other areas where a wrongful death is caused by another’s negligence.
Rob is happy to discuss your case with you and your family. Email Rob at Rob@Kornfeldlaw.com or call 1 (800) 282-4878 to discuss your situation in the utmost of privacy and sensitivity or to schedule a free consultation or case evaluation over the telephone, by e-mail or in person at a convenient location for you, either at our main office, a satellite meeting location, in your home or at the hospital.
DUI Suspected in Fatal Everett Car Wreck
Police believe an intoxicated woman driving the wrong direction on Broadway caused a head-on crash Friday that killed two people and left two others with serious injuries.
The accident happened about 9:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Broadway at 41st Street.
Police arrested a woman for investigation of vehicular homicide, drunken driving and vehicular assault, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.
She was at the wheel of a Nissan Xterra sport utility vehicle when it crashed head-on into a Nissan SX two-door coupe that was carrying four people.
Police believe the woman in the SUV was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of Broadway when the wreck occurred, Goetz said. She apparently was unharmed in the crash.
A woman who was driving the car that the SUV struck died at the scene, as did one of her passengers, a man, Goetz said. Two other passengers, both men, remained hospitalized Saturday with serious injuries, Goetz said.
A passenger in the SUV was treated for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
The names and ages of those involved in the accident were not available Saturday.
The southbound freeway entrance to I-5 remained closed for several hours Friday night as detectives gathered evidence.
Impaired driving is the leading cause of traffic deaths in the state, according to the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission. More than a third of fatal crashes that occurred in Snohomish County last year involved drinking and driving, the commission’s data shows.
Last year’s toll includes two Clearview couples killed by a drunken driver on Nov. 29 while they were driving on Highway 9 in Marysville.
Friday’s crash is another tragic reminder that drinking and driving can have horrific consequences, Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said.
“That’s why we are out there every day, trying to get impaired drivers off the road,” he said.
As part of a statewide effort to eliminate traffic deaths, the patrol uses marked and unmarked patrols cars and helicopters to look for impaired drivers on state roads.
If you or a family member has been injured or like in this case worse it can be a tough time. Financial compensation may be the last thing on your mind when you are severely hurt or you have lost a loved one, but time is of essence to pursue any personal injury or wrongful death claim. Learn more from Everett Personal Injury Lawyer Rob Kornfeld.
