Woman charged with vehicular homicide in Lake Sammamish crash
Dec 5, 2014, 2:42 PM | Updated: 4:18 pm
Prosecutors have filed vehicular homicide charges against a woman who drove an SUV into a Lake Sammamish home in May, killing two family members inside.
Carol Fedigan, 68, was drunk and had been taking sleeping pills before driving her Jeep, according to toxicology reports.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association and other experts analyzed data from the Jeep’s crash sensing system and determined Fedigan was fully accelerating the car and only touched the brake momentarily near the end of the event. She did not intend on accelerating into her house, according to court documents.
Prosecutors say Fedigan was having dinner with her 70-year-old husband, her 34-year-old daughter, and her 41-year-old son-in-law. She had been drinking wine and had taken Ambien before deciding to move her car back onto the driveway or into the garage. The Jeep didn’t have a car seat, but Fedigan took her 3-year-old grandson with her, according to court documents.
She put her grandson on her lap, unrestrained, and put the Jeep into drive. Court documents say the Jeep plowed through the house, smashed over the dining table and other adults, went through the rear house windows, over a covered patio, down some stairs, over a deck, through a fence, and end up dangling above Lake Sammamish.
Fedigan’s husband suffered catastrophic injuries and was instantly killed. Her son-in-law died of traumatic brain injury at the hospital two days later. Fedigan’s daughter suffered deep lacerations and several fractures to her face and body. Police said she dragged herself out to the driveway and collapsed. The young boy had an abrasion on his forehead, but was otherwise OK.
Neighbors found Fedigan uninjured and able to climb out of the Jeep on her own.
Her blood alcohol content was tested at .091 four hours after the crash. Zolpidem (Ambien) was .06. Prosecutors believe her BAC indicates it was much higher at the time of the crash.
Prosecutors requested Fedigan be held on $250,000 bail and not be allowed to consume alcohol or drugs. Investigators said Fedigan had a “significant alcohol problem” and had been abusing an Ambien prescription prior to the crash. Her family also held an unsuccessful intervention months prior to get her to seek treatment, according to court documents.
