Woman suspected of driving impaired crashes with children in back seat

BELLEVUE, Wash. — A 26-year-old woman was seriously injured and will be investigated for impaired driving, after she crashed a Ford Explorer into a barrier on I-90 Saturday afternoon with three children in the back seat.

The woman, listed in a Washington State Patrol collision report as Jewellette Davis, was recovering in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center Saturday night.

The two girls and one boy were also taken to the hospital and will be OK.

An investigating officer on the scene told KIRO 7 there was a strong odor of marijuana coming from the Davis’ purse, recovered in the wreck.

No other vehicles were hit.

Before the crash happened at around 3:20 p.m., dispatchers received several calls from other drivers, reporting the Explorer moving erratically.

Trooper Clark Jones said the driver then lost control, and the car hit the barrier on the left before bouncing back out across the HOV lane.

“It’s really important to us that people call 911 when they suspect someone is impaired. Obviously you know that’s one of our priorities. And if the public is out there functioning as an additional set of eyes, that makes our job a lot easier,” Jones said.

Washington State Patrol troopers told KIRO 7 that in the last four weeks, they arrested 10 people on suspicion of driving under the influence because drivers reported them.

In one case, 51-year-old Laura Ann Taylor was arrested for her fourth DUI. The state patrol said Taylor’s license was revoked and was supposed to have an interlock ignition device on her car.

KIRO 7 talked to some drivers who had called 911 to make these reports before.

“Somebody cut me off on 405, and they were headed south on 167. So I just called state patrol. Just give a little buzz to 911, and say, 'Hey, I think this guy has a little too much fun in his blood system,'” said Brent Malesich.

Other drivers said they had seen or smelled people smoking pot behind the wheel. Troopers also said they have seen more cases of driving under the influence of marijuana since pot was legalized.

KIRO