Latest news with #AndreaSmithHudsonAct
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Teen pleads guilty to vehicular homicide in 112 mph crash that killed three children and a mother
Chase Jones, the then 18-year-old who caused the crash that killed four people and injured two others in Renton on March 19, 2024, pled guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault on Thursday. Jones, now 19 years old, was driving at 112 miles per hour when he crashed into a van, killing three children and a mother. The victims were Eloise Wilcoxson, 12, Buster B. Brown, 12, and Matilda Wilcoxson, 13, and Andrea Hudson, 38. Andrea Hudson's two children, Nolan and Charlotte Hudson, survived the crash but have sustained life-changing injuries, a representative from the King County Court said. Jones will be sentenced on April 25, but his final sentence will be up to a judge's decision. The standard minimum sentence for this category of felony is 17.5 to 23.3 years, according to the King County Courts. In the wake of the crash, Washington lawmakers have drafted legislation to address accountability for dangerous driving. HB 1596, known as the Andrea Smith Hudson Act, passed in the House and would mandate Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) devices to regulate the speed of those with a history of speeding. The devices would limit a driver from going more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, according to a bill report. 'There are no words to express the grief, the pain that we feel. Four bright lights are missing from the world and it feels cold and dark,' said Chase Wilcoxson, the father of two children killed following the crash. 'The wounds that we feel will eventually heal, but the scars will remain for the rest of our lives,' he said.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Far too many Washingtonians are dying from excessive speeding. This bill could help
Every Washingtonian deserves to feel safe on our roads. The grief of losing a child, a sibling, a friend in a preventable crash is unbearable. Too many families in our state have suffered the tragic, senseless loss of a loved one due to excessive speeding. Speeding is one of the deadliest and most preventable factors in traffic fatalities. Between 2019 and 2023, fatal crashes involving a speeding driver increased by nearly 40%. In 2023 alone, excessive speed contributed to 251 fatalities in our state. Nationally, 12,998 deaths were linked to speed-related crashes. The economic cost of this exceeded $50 billion. Today, speeding remains a leading cause of fatal crashes for injuries in Washington. These are not just statistics; they are real people like your family member or community member in your neighborhood — full of promise, dreams left unfulfilled, families gone in an instant. It happens too often, too close to home. That is why I introduced House Bill 1596, the Andrea Smith Hudson Act, a bill named in honor of Andrea, a young life lost far too soon. Along with Andrea, I want to recognize other young lives lost — Buster Brown, 12; Eloise Wilcoxson, 13; Matilda Wilcoxson, 12; and Elijah Williams, 21 —children who should still be here, whose futures should still be bright. We can and must do everything in our power to prevent more families from suffering the same heartbreak in our state. In fact, it impacts all ages and Pierce County is not immune to these challenges as every month for the last few months, there has been a fatality where speeding was a factor. The Andrea Smith Hudson Act focuses on those who engage in the most dangerous speeding behavior and the disproportionate of folks causing the most fatalities — drivers traveling 20 miles per hour or more above the posted limit. These drivers are not simply making a mistake; they are knowingly putting lives at risk. It is our responsibility to hold them accountable while offering tools for rehabilitation. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission continually says that fatalities on our roadways are driven by three factors: excessive speed, distracted driving and intoxicated driving. My bill attempts to address these factors by focusing on those who have repeatedly shown these behaviors. I propose implementing Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology for habitual speed violators as a tool for our Courts to impose on these habitual speeders. This technology, which has been successful in other regions as well as countries, ensures that vehicles adhere to posted speed limits, significantly reducing the likelihood of speed-related crashes. In addition to ISA devices, the bill requires speed limiters for repeat offenders as a condition of being able to drive. Studies show that approximately 75% of drivers with suspended licenses continue to drive illegally. We need real solutions that change behavior and prevent future tragedies. This is about accountability—and it is about keeping families' whole. In fact, according to the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission, the number of tickets for folks speeding in excess of 50 miles per hour from 2019 to 2024, increased in Washington State by 200%. This bill is designed to give tools to our judicial officers to hold reckless drivers accountable while maintaining fairness and accessibility. Key measures include: Targeting the most dangerous violations (20+ mph over the limit) rather than penalizing minor infractions. Providing opportunities for folks with suspensions to drive with this tool similar to the ignition interlock program as imposed by a court. Implementing a structured fee system for ISA device installation that considers financial capabilities, ensuring all drivers can comply. Public safety is not a partisan issue, and I am proud that this bill has gained the backing of a diverse coalition, including the National Transportation Safety Board, Washington State Labor Council, Washington State Building and Trades Council, Washington State Association of Police and Sheriffs, Build Black Alliance and Washington Trucking Association. This broad support underscores the urgency and necessity of action. This is about more than policy — it is about people. It is about keeping our children safe as they walk home from school. It is about making sure no mother or father has to bury their child because of a driver's reckless — and often fatal — choices. It is about a coworker or a colleague not dying on the way to or from work. Folks need to find a way to get to work, their medical appointments, take their children to school lawfully. By passing this bill, we honor Andrea, Buster, Eloise, Matilda, Elijah and all those lost to preventable crashes. We owe it to their families — and to all Washingtonians — to make our roads and community safer. We can afford to lose any more Washingtonians. Lawmakers must act now. Pass the Andrea Smith Hudson Act and save our communities from the preventable loss of neighbors, families and friends. Rep. Mari Leavitt is a Democrat representing the 28th Legislative District.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
In-car speed limiter devices considered as option to tackle rise in Washington traffic deaths
A damaged vehicle is seen in the aftermath of a June 2024 crash in Thurston County, in which the driver of another vehicle was suspected of speeding and driving under the influence. (Photo courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff Office) An 18-year-old man was allegedly driving 112 mph in a 40 mph zone when he ran a red light and smashed into Andrea Smith Hudson's minivan last year near Renton, killing her and three children who were passengers in her car. The driver had reportedly been involved in two crashes in the prior 10 months, including one where he was accused of speeding. 'This intentional behavior weaponizes vehicles, turning them into missiles, more dangerous than bullets,' Smith Hudson's father, Ted Smith, told the state House Transportation Committee on Thursday. 'We need stiff consequences for these thrill seekers, and we must use any tools available to detect and stop this from happening again.' A bill the committee heard Thursday aims to do that. House Bill 1596, tentatively named the Andrea Smith Hudson Act, would allow drivers with a suspended license to still be able to drive despite a history of street racing or excessive speeding, defined as 20 mph over the speed limit. But to do so, they would have to install an intelligent speed limiter in their car. The technology is similar to ignition interlock devices for people with histories of driving under the influence. Those devices require drivers to blow into a breathalyzer to show their blood alcohol concentration before they can start the car. These devices use GPS to limit speed to the posted limit. Some of them include an override function when drivers need to pass cars or speed up for safety reasons. Under the legislation, they'd only be able to override the limiter three times per month. Tampering with the device or otherwise violating the terms of the restricted driver's license would be a gross misdemeanor. Speed limiters have both active and passive options. Active ones restrict the driver's speed, while passive ones alert the driver if they're going over the speed limit. The bill in Washington requires active speed limiters. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission has recommended making the equipment standard in commercial and passenger cars. Shelly Baldwin, the director of the commission, said tickets and license suspensions don't stop drivers from continuing to speed. A similar measure recently passed the Virginia state House. New vehicles in Europe are required to have intelligent speed assistance technology installed. In California last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a measure requiring passive speed limiters. Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, said the Washington bill is 'going to save lives.' It's one of several measures lawmakers are discussing in Olympia as they seek to reverse a dramatic rise in deaths on Washington roads. 'It's a multi-faceted crisis that demands a sense of urgency,' said Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, the prime sponsor of the speed limiter measure. 'This bill is a proactive solution that aims to protect the public from speed-related injuries and death.' Lawmakers are also trying again to lower the legal limit for driving drunk from 0.08% to 0.05%. Another bill would create a new civil protection order, focused on impaired driving, that would make drivers comply with certain conditions or potentially face a misdemeanor charge. In 2023, traffic fatalities in Washington reached a 33-year high, with 809 deaths. That's up from 743 the year prior and 674 the year before that. Speeding was a factor in about a third of the deaths in 2023. Officials believe, when finalized, 2024 numbers will show fewer traffic deaths in Washington.
