PORT ANGELES — A vehicular homicide trial for Amber D. Steim was delayed Thursday for an evidence hearing on a report that she allegedly drank alcohol last month and violated court conditions of release that allowed her to be free on bail.
Steim, 24, of Port Angeles is accused of driving nearly three times over the legal limit when she was involved in a head-on wreck that killed Ellen DeBondt, a Crescent Bay nurse, on state Highway 112 on March 6.
Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly filed a motion to revoke Steim’s conditions of release Nov. 3 after an alcohol monitoring device Steim is required to wear detected a 0.058 percent blood-alcohol level Oct. 30.
The one-week trial, which had been rescheduled for Dec. 5, was pushed back to Feb. 13.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge George L. Wood set a Dec. 5 hearing to hear arguments in Kelly’s motion to revoke Steim’s bail.
Steim pleaded not guilty to vehicular homicide and witness tampering.
Prosecutors alleged that Steim phoned from jail her mother and the person who was in her vehicle to ask them to say she drank alcohol after the collision because she was in pain.
Steim posted a $100,000 bail bond 10 days after the morning wreck east of Joyce that instantly killed DeBondt, a registered nurse with Olympic Medical Home Health.
As part of her conditions of release, Steim is required to stay sober and wear a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor, or SCRAM, bracelet.
Kelly on Thursday said there is probable cause that Steim was in violation of her conditions of release and made a motion that she be taken into custody.
Before Kelly could list her alternatives to the motion, defense attorney Ralph Anderson objected.
“It was made clear to me that conditions of release would not be an issue here today, that it would have to depend on the decision in this motion,” Anderson said.
Anderson said there are witnesses who will say that Steim was not drinking when the device detected alcohol.
He said Steim had her hair tinted before the positive reading, which may have set off the machine.
Anderson said he has been waiting a month for the state to send a blood sample to his contracted laboratory.
Kelly said her alternative was to clarify the conditions of release.
Judge Wood signed an order Thursday saying that Steim is not permitted to drive and must remain out of places where alcohol is the chief item of sale.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
