Not guilty plea in crash that claimed life of two Federal Way students

Alexander Peder is being held on $1 million bail.

Family members of victims Nicholas Hodgins and Derek King filled the front rows of the courtroom for the hearing. Lance Beaver, the father of the lone boy who survived the crash, was also there.

"They are very strong people," Lance Beaver said of Nicholas' and Derek's family. "I can't believe they showed up today; unbelievable strength."

Prosecutors say a half-empty bottle of vodka was found in Peder's vehicle after the June 9 crash on Interstate 5, and troopers said Peder had bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech immediately after the deadly crash.

"There was an obvious odor of intoxicants coming from his breath as he spoke. In the vehicle that (Peder) was driving was half a bottle of Pearl vodka," their report said.

Also found was a receipt for the vodka timestamped at 4:30 p.m. on the same day - about six hours before the crash.

Court documents say Peder's blood alcohol content was measured at 0.16, double the legal limit in Washington.

"It's like he reached inside my stomach and pulled out my whole insides," Lance Beaver said.

Lance said his son Anthony wanted to be at the arraignment, but he wouldn't let him.

"I think he may have had the same (angry) reaction I had here at the first hearing," Lance Beaver said. "It's just frustrating."

But Lance Beaver says Peder needs to see what he did. "He needs to see what happened. This isn't just three families, this isn't just two unfortunate deaths, this is a community."

A spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's office says if Peder is convicted on all vehicular homicide counts, he could be sentenced to 5-7 years in prison, which would include a sentencing enhancement due to Peder's prior conviction for reckless endangerment in 2007.