Renton, WA : Vehicular homicide charges filed in fatality accident on Thursday, 29th September 2016

Prosecutors this week charged Mario Luis Cuellar with vehicular homicide following a car accident last week in which a 58-year-old Seattle woman was killed.

Verda January was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cuellar admitted to police he had been drinking and taking drugs prior to the accident and was speeding when he drove through a red light and struck January’s vehicle. He also allegedly tried to walk away from the scene of the accident.

According to police, Cuellar smelled heavily of intoxicants when he was contacted and had difficulty maintaining his balance. His speech was slurred and his head repeatedly nodded up and down as if he was falling asleep. Police also found a 22-ounce can of beer on the floor of the passenger side of Cuellar’s car.

Cuellar has an extensive criminal record, including a DUI, multiple counts of driving with license suspended, reckless driving, eluding, malicious mischief, theft and more.

According to the police report, Cuellar has a history of methamphetamine and heroin use and was involuntarily committed in July due to a drug-induced psychosis.

According to court documents he is “not likely to appear in response to a summons and is a clear danger to the community.” He is being held on $750,000 bail.

According to reports, Cuellar was traveling eastbound on Grady Way at a high rate of speed and failed to stop at a red light at the intersection with Shattuck Avenue. January was traveling northbound and Cuellar struck the driver’s side door, T-boning her vehicle.

The force of the impact carried the second car, driven by January, into an SUV that was waiting at the light. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that January’s death was caused by multiple blunt force trauma.

Cuellar and the driver of the SUV also suffered minor injuries.

Witnesses estimated that Cuellar was traveling between 50 and 60 mph when he struck January.

While first responders were attending to January, Cuellar allegedly walked away from the scene and was arrested while about 200 feet from the scene walking in the opposite direction. Police noted his “gate was uneven and he was “struggling to maintain his balance.” Officrs on the scene noted it was “obvious” that Cuellar was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

When asked what happened, Cuellar allegedly told police “I f**ked up and was driving like an idiot.”

Later, at the hospital, Cuellar allegedly repeated the expletive and added “I was drunk and I blew a red light.”

Cuellar’s arraignment is set for Oct. 10 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice center in Kent. He is innocent until proven guilty.

Source :
Vehicular homicide charges filed in fatality accident