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Deputy speaks out after his daughter was arrested for DUI

SEATTLE — A local sheriff’s deputy is speaking out after his daughter was arrested for driving drunk and causing a violent wreck on I-5.

“Like any other parent, I got one of those phone calls last night that no parent wants to get,” said King County Sheriff's Deputy Timm Brewer.  He was told on the phone:  “My daughter was in an accident last night, and may have been driving impaired.”

His daughter is 22-year-old Vallen Brewer.  She is accused of drunk driving her pickup truck south-- in the northbound lanes of I-5 early Sunday morning.

State troopers said Vallen hit an oncoming SUV.  The SUV flipped, but fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt, although one man did go to the hospital for minor injuries.

“Like I've said throughout my career as a law enforcement officer:  ‘Law enforcement officers and their families are not above the law or exempt from it,’” said Brewer.  “You know, if my daughter made a big girl choice, she's going to have to learn a big girl lesson.”

Brewer said he hopes his daughter’s mistake can be a teachable moment for others out there.  That hope is a big part of the reason the long-time deputy agreed to speak with KIRO 7.

“I've done my share of impaired driving enforcement, and you know there's many many other avenues out there besides getting behind the wheel: call a friend, call family, take a cab, do something besides get behind the wheel,” Brewer said.