Amanda M. Sandoval recently killed Sharon Ruth Currie by turning her truck in front of a motorcycle she was a passenger on.
Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King stated that, “We don’t believe at this time that any negligence was involved.”
“Driving is a divided-attention skill, and people sometimes, they will be inattentive or they just don’t recognize when one of those many divided attentions they need to be focused on.”
“She just didn’t see the motorcycle.”
Two questions arise from this.
First, if turning in front of an oncoming vehicle isn’t being negligent, then one must wonder what is.
It is most unusual for the driver in this situation not to be charged with a serious felony instead of a traffic violation.
Just as important is the question of why Deputy King came to the defense of Ms. Sandoval in the initial news report by his statement about driving being a divided attention skill and implying that Ms. Sandoval was not at fault for not paying attention.
It certainly appears that the sheriff’s office is providing Ms. Sandoval with protection prior to an investigation by the county prosecutor’s office.
This protection apparently worked as Ms. Sandoval was fined $385 for “failure to yield” and walked away scott free after killing Ms. Currie.
For this penalty and the lack of charge for what appears to be the crime of vehicular homicide, Ms. Sandoval said that she would happily pay the fine.
Personally, I see no justice in this.
S. T. “Coop” Cooper
Sequim