PORT ANGELES — Engre Louise Brown of Sequim is scheduled to be arraigned today in Clallam County Superior Court on a charge of vehicular homicide in the Oct. 8 death of 25-year-old Benjamin Michael Merscher.
Brown was booked into the Clallam County jail at 4:31 p.m. Tuesday, after she was released to State Patrol custody from a rehabilitation hospital in Bainbridge Island.
The State Patrol said that Brown, 28 — who has been repeatedly cited for driving violations, including drunk driving, and whose license had been revoked — was driving under the influence of alcohol when she drove head-on into Merscher’s car, killing him, on U.S. Highway 101 near Kitchen-Dick Road.
Jim Borte, Clallam County Sheriff’s Department spokesman, said Brown could face life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine if convicted of vehicular homicide. No bail had been set.
Merscher, a Sequim Costco Wholesale employee, had graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in June 2007, and was considering pursuing a master’s degree, said his brother, Casey Merscher.
After the wreck, Brown was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with leg and internal injuries.
She was later transferred to Island Health and Rehabilitation in Bainbridge Island.
Brown was released into State Patrol custody on Tuesday because she had recovered from her injuries enough to be incarcerated, said Trooper Krista Hedstrom, State Patrol spokeswoman.
State Patrol troopers drove Brown to the Clallam County jail after she was released.
Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict said Brown still is recovering, and uses a wheelchair.
“We do have a medical staff, and we will attend to her medical needs,” he said.
Brown also was booked Tuesday on an outstanding warrant issued in August.
The warrant was issued for failure to appear for a hearing on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a suspended license on June 12, 2006.
She could have to pay an additional $1,000 fine for the outstanding warrant, Borte said.
A memorial service for Merscher was held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sequim on Oct. 12, and was attended by more than 400 people.
Court records show Brown had been found guilty of:
•âÇFirst-degree negligent driving on Oct. 23, 2000 in Port Angeles. She was fined $1,000.
•âÇDriving without insurance and reckless driving on Aug. 22, 2005 in Forks. Brown was sentenced to two days in jail with 24 months probation. She was fined $2,190.
Brown admitted to violating probation on Nov. 16, 2006, and was given 40 hours of community service in Sequim.
After failing to conduct any community service in December, and forging her supervisor’s signature, Brown was sentenced to an additional 25 days in jail.
During that case, Brown failed to appear for her probation hearings three times, and had just as many warrants issued for her arrest for the violations.
•âÇA traffic infraction cited by the State Patrol on Sept. 13, 2005. She was fined $153.
•âÇDriving without insurance, cited by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department on Sept. 16, 2005. She was fined $590.
•âÇDriving with a suspended driver’s license on Oct. 24, 2005, cited by the State Patrol. She received a sentence of five days in Clallam County jail and was fined $1,000.
Brown failed to appear for a hearing on the citation on Nov. 30, 2005, and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
•âÇDriving with a suspended driver’s license and without insurance on June 1, 2006, cited by the State Patrol.
Brown was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 80 hours of community service, and fined $681.
Brown had failed to appear for a hearing in connection with the case on Sept. 13, 2007, and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Her suspended license status was increased from second degree to first degree in August for repeated violations.
Both degrees bar Brown from getting a driver’s license.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or tom.callis@peninsula dailynews.com.
