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NEWPORT — A Spokane teenager pleaded not guilty in Pend Oreille County Superior Court Thursday, July 9, on charges of vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment.
Bradley J. Weller, 19, drove off Bead Lake Road near milepost 7.5 while in his car with two friends, resulting in the death of one, Aaron J. Goodman. According to court documents, there was extensive evidence that Weller was intoxicated prior to the collision.
Vehicular homicide is a felony punishable by life imprisonment, a fine of $50,000 or both. Reckless endangerment is a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 364 days, a fine of up to $5,000 or both.
Pend Oreille County District Court Judge Robin McCroskey set bail at $10,000 during Weller’s first appearance Monday, July 6.
If released, Weller must not leave Washington, contact the other friend involved in the collision, possess or consume any alcohol, enter places where alcohol is served, use or possess any drugs except as prescribed by a physician, commit any criminal law violations or operate a motor vehicle without a valid license and insurance. Weller must also maintain weekly contact with his attorney.
According to court documents, Weller, Goodman and their friend Carter L. Gail had come up Friday, July 3 and camped at Mystic Lake. Saturday, July 4, the three friends were drinking at their campsite while waiting for a fourth friend to arrive. After about three or four hours of waiting, they decided to drive back to town where there was cell service in order to find out what happened to their friend.
While driving to town, Weller drifted his car a couple times, and according to court documents, his friends told him to “do more, do more” drifts. Weller was driving at 25 to 30 miles per hour when he drifted his car again around 4:23 p.m., but this time, his car went too far to the right.
Consequently, Weller oversteered left. According to court documents, his car went nose-first off the embankment and into a tree, causing it to spin, roll and land on its driver’s side.
Weller was wearing his seatbelt, but Goodman and Gail were not, he later stated to law enforcement. During the collision, Gail was thrown backward from the front passenger seat into the backseat, ending up on top of Goodman.
Weller would call authorities, stating that all of them were injured and that Goodman was still in his car, unresponsive. When law enforcement arrived, they met Weller and Gail on the road shoulder and found Weller’s car 20 feet down the embankment, pinned between two trees. Goodman was severely injured, and according to court documents, it took law enforcement at least 30 minutes to extract him from Weller’s car.
Shortly after, Goodman was life-flighted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he died around 7:26 p.m. Gail was also airlifted to Sacred Heart, while Weller was transported to Newport Hospital and Health Services. Following Weller’s release from NHHS, law enforcement booked him for vehicular homicide at the Pend Oreille County jail, according to court documents. The reckless endangerment charge was added last week.
Besides Weller’s statement that he, Gail and Goodman were drinking before the drive, law enforcement observed the smell of intoxicants in Weller’s car, a glass marijuana pipe on the driver’s floorboard and two empty cans of alcoholic beverages at the scene, according to court documents. During on-scene interviews, both Weller and Gail smelled of intoxicants and slurred their words.
Weller’s statement that they were drinking came after he initially told law enforcement he had not drunk any alcohol at all. A Preliminary Breath Test administered to Weller on scene resulted in a score of 0.097.
An omnibus hearing is scheduled at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, a pre-trial hearing at 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10 and trial at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5.
