Alleged drunk driver could face vehicular homicide charge
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TACOMA, Wash. -- A suspected drunk driver blamed in a deadly car crash left a Tacoma hospital on Monday, just hours after doctors took his 9-year-old nephew off life support.
The crumpled fenders and caved in roof give a sense of how fast Jayce Randall's car was going early Saturday when if veered off Highway 16 near Purdy and flipped several times.
"The driver and the front passenger, unfortunately, neither one of them were properly restrained," said trooper Guy Gill with the Washington State Patrol.
Randall and his 9-year-old nephew, Donovan Best, were thrown from the car. Investigators say Randall was drunk and stoned at the time.
"He did admit to using marijuana," Gill said. "The roadside breath test was over double the legal limit."
Donovan suffered massive head injuries and had been on life support at Tacoma General Hospital until Sunday night, when doctors told the family there was no sign of any brain function.
The boy's uncle, Dale Lewandowski, was in the hospital room when his mother and close family members said their final goodbyes.
"Alicia was able to hold Donovan in her arms when they took him off life support and to be with him when he passed," Lewandowski said.
Investigators believe Randall had been drinking and smoking at a family barbeque hours before the crash. He then offered to drive Donovan and the boy's younger sister to their grandparents' house as a favor.
Randall broke his pelvis in the crash, but was well enough to leave the hospital on Monday. Troopers took him straight to jail to ultimately face a charge of vehicular homicide.
"It's ruining two people's lives in a big way, and everybody else's lives around that care about them. And our family has basically moved from one tragedy to the next," Lewandowski.
Randall could go before a judge as soon as Tuesday for a bail hearing. The rest of the family is working out funeral arrangements for Donavan.
The crumpled fenders and caved in roof give a sense of how fast Jayce Randall's car was going early Saturday when if veered off Highway 16 near Purdy and flipped several times.
"The driver and the front passenger, unfortunately, neither one of them were properly restrained," said trooper Guy Gill with the Washington State Patrol.
Randall and his 9-year-old nephew, Donovan Best, were thrown from the car. Investigators say Randall was drunk and stoned at the time.
"He did admit to using marijuana," Gill said. "The roadside breath test was over double the legal limit."
Donovan suffered massive head injuries and had been on life support at Tacoma General Hospital until Sunday night, when doctors told the family there was no sign of any brain function.
The boy's uncle, Dale Lewandowski, was in the hospital room when his mother and close family members said their final goodbyes.
"Alicia was able to hold Donovan in her arms when they took him off life support and to be with him when he passed," Lewandowski said.
Investigators believe Randall had been drinking and smoking at a family barbeque hours before the crash. He then offered to drive Donovan and the boy's younger sister to their grandparents' house as a favor.
Randall broke his pelvis in the crash, but was well enough to leave the hospital on Monday. Troopers took him straight to jail to ultimately face a charge of vehicular homicide.
"It's ruining two people's lives in a big way, and everybody else's lives around that care about them. And our family has basically moved from one tragedy to the next," Lewandowski.
Randall could go before a judge as soon as Tuesday for a bail hearing. The rest of the family is working out funeral arrangements for Donavan.
He has been officially charged. Â Two counts. Â Vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment.
Pled not guilty at his arraignment. Â Only way he can work on a plea deal.
I'm just curious, not piling on her, but if that woman in the backseat with the little girl was at least lucid enough to be terrified at his idiotic driving, why wasn't she driving in the first place, his car or not?Â
And did she not realize how wasted he was on a bottle of tequila and probably quite a few bong hits before she accepted a ride with him?
@MargeGunderson What woman?
@Nanamamabjm @MargeGunderson One of the articles, maybe it was one of the other news sites if you haven't seen it, mentioned a woman in the back seat with the little girl.Â
According to that article, both in back had seat belts on and that woman was not injured at all. But I've also now seen three different ages mentioned of the girl, so who knows, maybe that one was also incorrect.
What do they mean by he could? I thought this was the law?
He should face vehicular homicide because that is exactly what happened. Â He knowingly got into a vehicle with two children after he drank "a bottle of tequila" (quoted by family members at the BBQ and not only drove but according to the little girl, drove fast. Â I am sure he feels terrible but most drunk drivers do after they kill someone, let alone their 9 year old nephew.
I spent quite a few years as a bartender and know my share about drunks and drunk driving. Â No one thinks something like this could happen to them, but all so often it does. Â There is no telling a drunk not to drive if he/she really wants to...let them go, but don't let them take your kids with them. Â Hopefully this guy didn't offer to drive because he was the least drunk or most sober of the bunch because that highlights and entirely different issue with this family.
John Henry Browne, is this going to end up in your lap?
@keri555 where is it confirmed that he drank a bottle of tequila? You will not see it confirmed anywhere because that was an incorrect quote that KOMO news put in their article. They fabricated that quote and then they admitted that is was a false statement. Go back and read it.
@sunshine @keri555 Again, sunshine, he blew twice the legal limit.  There had to be some pretty significant alcohol consumption for that to happen. Â
@sunshine @Nanamamabjm @keri555 Wow.  Hostility, for what reason?  I'm just asking you why you are quibbling over minutiea .  The guy was hammered, greased, and had no business driving himself let alone a couple of small children.  It would be best for everyone involved to as you say "move on" and figure out how to get through this.  Accept the consequences and figure out how to help the family through recovery from this mess and hopefully, on to full lives.  Especially the little girl who survived this mess.
@Nanamamabjm @sunshine @keri555 Do you see me arguing that point? I am asking for confirmation about a statement that has been made. That is it...if you can not provide it, move on.
@sunshine    The roadside breath test was over double the legal limit."  Does it really matter what he drank?????  Tequila, whiskey, vodka, beer it really doesnt matter at this point.  What does matter is that this child is gone now and another will have to live with this memory forever.    Hopefully this uncle will get some help along the way with his drinking.   I hope he spends a good amount of time in prison for what he has done. Â
@mpatrick NO it does not matter. I am asking because people keep pointing fingers at family members who were not even there. AND the fact that KOMO news 4 fabricated a statement that they later retracted.Â
@sunshine @keri555 sunshine - another story had the mother saying it.
@the tide I am not related to this family at all. Why does it matter that I have only posted on KOMO for 1 day? I asked for confirmation about a statement so unless you can give it...move on.
@sunshine Gee sunshine... are you the mom or the aunt? Another family member? I'm asking because you've only posted on this thread in your 1 day on Komo.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Donovan-Best-injured-in-DUI-crash-dies-after-being-taken-off-life-support-198778461.html
@the tide@sunshine@keri555 another story had the mother saying it? so the mother has been interviewed by the media? Show me that interview...because right here in this article you can see where KOMO retracted
 %s
Where is it CONFIRMED that other family, besides the uncle and mom were at this BBQ?
Ok, obviously you are a family member or a friend of the family. Your arguments are pointless and lack common sense. You've only been on here one day and are only posting to articles related to this story.
I lost my sister who was 24 to a drunk driver. Â The heart break is unimaginable to the family. Â Even more so, being that it was so preventable. Â My heart goes out to this family who is suffering through this tragedy. They will suffer many years from their decision to let these kids, get into their Uncle's car. Â Â RIP little guy. Â Â
ALLEGED drunk driver?  His roadside breath test was twice the legal limit.  Why pussyfoot around in the headline?  I feel worst for the little sister.  She suffered through the terror of this  accident and helped them find her brother's ejected body.  It was all avoidable.
@Doxie Because until a person has been convicted of a crime in a court of law, they must, in the news, and legally (and maybe in some other ways), be presumed innocent.
I'm not saying that no one can, will or should presume him innocent, but at least a few are required to have that presumption.
I agree with your sympathy for the sister and your accurate analysis that this was all avoidable!
this kinda thing happened 20 yrs ago and it still happens. Â Sad but true. Â Poor little boy and family. Â RIP
This family that allowed him to drive with these children need to be held accountable too.
@The WA Mama You are so right, this is so sad. I feel horrible for the surviving sibling. = /
That poor little girl is going to need some serious counseling to get over this. I have a sneaking suspicion though that her parents won't be a great form of support for her. They have already proven that their decision making skills are lacking in regards to the health and welfare of their kids. I hope a judge can intervene on her behalf.
@The WA MamaSo classy and professional how KOMO plays up the drunk murderer as a helpless victim just because his idiot family is making excuses. He "volunteered" to drive them drunk, stoned and at frighteningly excessive speeds "as a favor" to his drunk family?Â
Donovan had better pay back this enormous generosity, and soon! Oh, wait, he can't, you killed him by driving like an idiot.Â
I am so utterly disgusted that this family allowed this to happen. What in the "F" is wrong with them? They are not the victims here, that little boy and his sister are, as well as any family members that were not there (i.e. grandparents). Â
Obviously you are a family member or a friend of the family. Your arguments are pointless and lack common sense. You've only been on here one day and are only posting to articles related to this story.
@sunshine @The WA Mama Gee sunshine, the kids were there too and it's more likely that more people were at a "family" barbecue than just the mom, kids and one uncle.
@The WA Mama Oh really wa mama? The family is NOT the victims? And you say this because you read that they were at this BBQ and they did nothing? Is this confirmed? You know for a fact that the family members that you have been seeing on TV were at this BBQ? Before you go spouting off your mouth about how this family are not victims maybe you should get your freaking facts straight. Is it confirmed ANYWHERE that family was there besides the uncle and mother??Â
@The WA Mama Of course you are right. Let's throw the entire family in jail......
@Surveyor1 @The WA Mama Guess what Surveyor, when drunks kill people on the road the police ask the if they just left a bar, which bar, and then the server and the establishment start getting questioned. This family should be questioned. When was the last time you drank a bottle of Tequila and got stoned at your family barbecue? Oh yeah, most familys don't do that. Wonder if the uncle who killed the kid is the moms brother or the dads. So far, I'm going to guess the moms.
Nice comment there surveyor1. Love the sarcasm. Let me clarify, the family members and adults that were there that allowed him to drive off with the kids knowing full well that he downed a bottle of booze and smoked pot to boot should be held accountable as well .,... especially the parents.Â
@The WA Mama Agree!! Somebody allowed this killer to let the kids in the car with him. They should be brought to trial on child endangerment charges at the very least.Â
In addition to any charges against him the relatives who let him even get behind the wheel should be charged with being stupid. Were they all impaired and couldn't make the right decision about that? Talk about disfunctional.
And what about the party organizers? If this guy was coming out of a bar, the lawyers would be all over this case suing the bar owners. Allowing people to get wasted at your home and then let them drive away with children in their car comes with consequences and that includes legal consequences.Â
Let us not forget the boy's younger sister, who now has to live with this the rest of her life. I hope that someone sits her down and lets her explore her feelings, and really communicates to her that she is completely innocent in all this. She is living with that fact that she is alive and her brother is dead. At that young of an age, I'm afraid that she will feel guilty or undeserving to be "the one who survived" while her brother died.
I'm hoping a judge can intervene and get her some court ordered counseling.Â
So let me get this correct. The man is at a party with relatives (I'm guessing that is where he was drinking and drugging), then offers to DRIVE the younger relatives to Grandma's house. The relatives at said party ALLOW this man to drive....the relatives at said party ALLOW this drunk, stoned man to drive CHILDREN to Grandma's house????
Are you flippin serious?
@Magicalwoman I was thinking the exact same thing. I would never want to add more grief to this family, but I wonder if Alicia, the boys mother, was also at the party. If so, how could she allow a drunk, stoned uncle to drive her children anywhere? Maybe, just maybe, she had also consumed too much alcohol, to be of good judgment. If so, now she, too, will have to live years of regret. A very sad story.
"Im on that good kush and alcohol, "....quote from his Facebook page, last week. You're a poster child for the death penalty.
@bagsofdirt Only because he drove in that condition, but yes, your avatar and screen name apply perfectly to him now that we know he does (regardless of whether he has children in his own vehicle).Â
Why this guy on suicide watch total loser scumbag
@Seattle Give him a rope
SCUMBAG LOSER!!!!!!
C'mon, KOMOÂ - explore the other angle to this story, i.e. the relatives at the party!!!!
It's one thing to drive drunk, which is a terrible decision, but something many many of us have done. But to take kids in the car?? What were any of these people thinking??
Actually, Sanctuary, I have many times sat for an hour in places without a drink before I got in my car - after having had even half a drink at an office party. I always refused to drive before that hour was up and I knew I wasn't buzzed. I dated a guy that I talked to sitting for that hour once at Canyons in Bothell. Years later I ran into him again when a friend told me her guy was over by the door - sitting for an hour - and it turned out to be that guy I dated. He learned that from me. Many of us will not drive drunk - we refuse to. I don't drink anymore but at least I made it a point of not driving even buzzed when I did. This guy in this story has an actual substance abuse problem. The mother said in another story that he drank an entire bottle of Tequila before getting into that car. He needs AA and jail time for his actions. It wasn't an accident - it was pure selfish negligence.
@Sanctuary One would hope that many, many people would choose not to. What if he "only" drove himself and yet hit a stranger's car and killed someone else's son? Driving drunk puts everyone else on the road in harm's way, whether the person is alone in the car or not.