Does Washington Need to Strengthen Its DUI Laws?

A lawmaker is calling for changes to our state's drunken-driving laws following two fatal collisions in Seattle that were allegedly caused by men with pending DUI cases.

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State Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland), who represents Washington's 45th Legislative District, told Q13 Fox he plans to push for a new law that would require ignition interlock devices be installed immediately after a driver is arrested for DUI—not after a conviction.

“We want to save the public from any future incidence. The deaths in the last few days were by people who had driven drunk repeatedly,” he said. (Click here to watch the entire interview on Q13's website.)

Morgan Williams, 58, was killed Thursday morning on State Route 520 as she drove to work at Eddie Bauer in Bellevue. Michael A. Robertson, who was awaiting trial for a previous DUI arrest in Pierce County, was allegedly driving under the influence when he made an illegal U-turn near Montlake Boulevard and hit Williams' vehicle head on.

The collision came a little more than a week after four family members—including a newborn—were hit while crossing an intersection in North Seattle. The two grandparents died at the scene; their daughter-in-law and infant grandson remain hospitalized. Mark Mullan, the driver of the vehicle that hit them, had a pending DUI case in Snohomish County and was allegedly under the influence at the time of the collision.

In the wake of the two incidents, other officials are calling for a change to the state's DUI laws that would make a person's third—rather than fifth—DUI conviction a felony.

“In Washington state, DUI doesn’t become a felony until the fifth offense. That’s far too many. I think it would be far more effective to have the third DUI be a felony,” Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist told Q13. “One, it would send a much stronger message, and two, it would get these repeat drunk drivers off the road earlier.”

Goodman, however, said he thinks that idea would be too expensive to implement because of the state's lack of prison space.

While officials continue to debate these preventative measures, a law that was passed last year means both Robertson and Mullan could face tougher sentences if found guilty. House Bill 2216, sponsored by Rep. Christopher Hurst (D-Enumclaw), set new sentencing guidelines for vehicular homicide at 78 to 102 months—more than double the previous penalty.

The legislation was spearheaded by King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg and the family of Steven Lacey, a Kirkland software engineer killed by a drunk driver in 2011.