Seattle man charged in crash that left 2 dead, 2 critically injured
Mar 28, 2013, 4:07 PM | Updated: 5:32 pm
Prosecutors have charged a man accused of killing two people and critically injuring two others while driving drunk in a Seattle neighborhood on Monday.
Mark W. Mullan, 50, faces two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault and one count of reckless driving.
Judith, 68, and Dennis Schulte, 66, were killed while crossing a street near Eckstein Middle School in the Wedgwood neighborhood. Their daughter-in-law, Karina Ulriksen-Schulte, and 10-day-old grandson, Elias, were critically injured and remain in comas at Harborview Medical Center.
According to court documents (pdf), Karina was out on her first walk after her C-section. She was carrying her baby in a sling while walking slowly with her in-laws, who had recently moved from the Midwest to be closer to their grandchild.
Ulriksen-Schulte, 33, was thrown to the ground and suffered a crushed pelvis. She developed blood clots and suffered a stroke, which led to brain damage.
Her son Elias, who was unconscious and not breathing when paramedics arrived on the scene, is in intensive care with multiple skull fractures and brain injuries. According to the documents, he underwent emergency surgery for liver and intestinal injuries.
“In the blink of an eye, a family was destroyed by the decision we allege that this defendant made to drink and drive,” said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. “It is a senseless loss and a tragic reminder that our society has a long way to go to eliminate the danger posed by impaired drivers. What too often follows the decision to drink and drive are funerals, hospitals and jail cells.”
Mullan has three prior convictions for DUI and a pending DUI case in Snohomish County.
According to court documents, his blood alcohol level was .22 at the time of the crash and he was driving without a valid license and without a court-ordered ignition interlock device.
If convicted, Mullan faces 15 to 19 years in prison. He remains in jail on $2.5 million bail and is set to be arraigned on April 11.
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