DUI victim’s family pushes for drunk driving felony consequences

Dale Panattoni’s father-in-law was 72, but mentally and physically he was 40 or 50 years old.

The two cycled together and Panattoni expected him to live another 15-20 years.

While walking along a sidewalk one day, Panattoni’s father-in-law was hit by a vehicle driven by a drunk driver. He was killed instantly.

“That has impacted our family in ways I would never have imagined,” Panattoni told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show Thursday.

“To have him absent is a huge void in our lives,” he added.

Panattoni and his family were amazed at how lenient Washington’s DUI laws are. He said the family is trying to turn a negative into a positive by fighting for more strict repercussions for driving drunk.

Now, Panattoni is advocating for Senate Bill 5150, which would make a fourth DUI within 10 years a felony. A public hearing on the bill was held Feb. 26.

Even if the bill becomes law, a felony after four DUIs is still light, according to Dori, and it should be three strikes and you’re out.

Though he agreed there could be a more strict law, Panattoni said anything to help deter people from driving drunk is a good step.

If the bill becomes law, Dori believes anyone who has three DUIs will change their behavior to avoid a felony.

If they don’t those people “deserve to be locked up.”

Those against the bill say it will clog up the court system and cost taxpayers more money, said Panattoni. But there is a cost for a DUI case no matter what.

The woman who hit Panattoni’s father-in-law is not a repeat offender. However, Panattoni’s family is impacted every day by their loss.

“Our families’ lives have been upside down since then,” he said. “Every time you sit down at the table, every time you celebrate a birthday.”