2 women charged in connection with teen's alcohol-related death
CHEHALIS, Wash. - Two 22-year-old Chehalis women were charged Wednesday with multiple counts of furnishing liquor to minors and reckless endangerment following the death of an intoxicated teen who was hit by a car while lying in the road in May.
On the night of May 11, prosecutors say Megan Day and Talia Tate bought 42 beers, two bottles of vodka and a bottle of whiskey for a group of minors, one of whom was Day's younger brother. The teens were were throwing a party in a shed in the 100 block of Brockway Road in Chehalis, according to charging documents.
One of the teens attending the party was 16-year-old Tyler Shawn Gonzalez. Gonzalez wandered away from the party and for some reason he decided to lay down in the roadway while wearing dark clothing in an area with no streetlights.
He was struck at about 2:30 a.m. on May 12 by an SUV while lying in the road. As a result of the impact, Gonzalez died of blunt internal trauma to the head, chest, and abdomen. His post-mortem blood-alcohol level was .17.
During a police interview following the death, Day said she normally only let her brother and his friends drink at her house because she knew they would stay there. She also said she made sure the teens would be staying at the shed before she bought the alcohol.
Day and Tate were both charged with six counts of furnishing liquor to minors and seven counts of reckless endangerment.
On the night of May 11, prosecutors say Megan Day and Talia Tate bought 42 beers, two bottles of vodka and a bottle of whiskey for a group of minors, one of whom was Day's younger brother. The teens were were throwing a party in a shed in the 100 block of Brockway Road in Chehalis, according to charging documents.
One of the teens attending the party was 16-year-old Tyler Shawn Gonzalez. Gonzalez wandered away from the party and for some reason he decided to lay down in the roadway while wearing dark clothing in an area with no streetlights.
He was struck at about 2:30 a.m. on May 12 by an SUV while lying in the road. As a result of the impact, Gonzalez died of blunt internal trauma to the head, chest, and abdomen. His post-mortem blood-alcohol level was .17.
During a police interview following the death, Day said she normally only let her brother and his friends drink at her house because she knew they would stay there. She also said she made sure the teens would be staying at the shed before she bought the alcohol.
Day and Tate were both charged with six counts of furnishing liquor to minors and seven counts of reckless endangerment.
State prohibits serving liquor to minors. Â When an injury or death occurs due to the abovementioned activity, you're going to face much more severe criminal charge. Â So don't even think about it. Â I'M THE LAW!
if you drink underage you could learn early that you dont like it and lead a more productive life. I encourage it...
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its not the adults fault!!!
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Dumbette and Dumberette!
@Tooby Roosday its the kids fault who drank to much!
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 @sultan1978  @Tooby Yeah, right. Let's make it legal for adults to supply booze to minors. GEESH!
@sultan1978: You are so wrong. Just as a clerk would be responsible for what happened if he/she sold the minors booze, so are these two women. Spin it as you will, but that's what happens when you furnish minors w/ intoxicants - you are accepting responsibility for any consequences.
It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt or killed. Hopefully this is a lesson to everyone out there to think twice before buying alcohol for underage kids. I'm surprised prosectutors aren't trying to charge them with manslaughter.
Awful and now several familes are torn apart. Usually only buys for her brother and his friends........duh, that's ILLEGAL! These kids were all being stupid. RIP young man.
Where I live, adults are providing alcohol all the time to minors.....my minor child included. I have spoken to the police numerous times about this, thold them where the parties are, gave them names of the "providers", Â etc and they do nothing. They say the kids aren't really doing any harm and it's "their rite of passage." Yes....our men in blue in this tiny town said that. They just don't care. They also say as long as they aren't driving, everything should be ok. I HATE our police here and I HATE that MY tax dollars are paying their salary for NOT upholding the law.
@hunkydorey247 Got your point!
Right. Like 'staying in the shed' is going to prevent all forms of damage to underage drinkers. In spite of wondering if their brains are damaged by their own underage drinking, I hope these two get full weight books thrown at them.
What a waste of life. Nothing good comes from underage drinking.
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@sexy back! Age does not mean you are an adult; means you are of age. Actions speak louder than being over 21 and behaving like a dumb bunny!
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 @DylanJ  Article says that she lives in Chehalis. That's 104 miles from Redmond. There is no Microsoft office in Chehalis. Seems unlikely it's the same person, and even if it was, what gives you the right to make these claims? If it's not the same woman, you've just committed slander.Â
Obviously at least one did NOT stay at the shed, young lady!! Shame on you. Hopefully part of the sentence will be some kind of community service where she can share the story of this tragedy & maybe prevent others from causing similar heartache.