A man who was driving drunk when his pickup crashed into a minivan at an intersection near Battle Ground in 2014, seriously injuring a 9-year-old girl, was sentenced Tuesday to six months of work release.
Shane Turner, 32, of Battle Ground pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court in December to one count of vehicular assault stemming from the crash on Sept. 10, 2014. He had faced two counts of vehicular assault, but the information was amended in exchange for his guilty plea.
At about 6:45 p.m., Turner was driving his pickup west on Northeast 219th Street when he failed to stop or yield the right-of-way to a southbound minivan at the intersection of 182nd Avenue near Battle Ground. Turner’s pickup crashed into the side of the minivan, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
A passenger in the minivan, Agatha Konovalchik, then 9, was hospitalized for more than three months due to her injuries, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Kasey Vu said during Tuesday’s sentencing. Her mother, Anna Konovalchik, then 44, and the girl’s brother, Jacob Konovalchik, then 13, also were injured in the crash, taken to an area hospital and later released.
Agatha was transported via LifeFlight to Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland, where, Vu said, she was in the intensive-care unit for the first three weeks. He said she suffered severe brain trauma and had to undergo surgery, as well as numerous other surgeries for her injuries. Agatha also suffered a stroke and is partially paralyzed on her left side, Vu said.
Turner was traveling between 45 to 47 mph and did not attempt to brake prior to the collision, Vu said. Additionally, Turner admitted to police that he had consumed a couple of beers before the crash and displayed signs of impairment. Officers found a bottle of whiskey and some beers in his vehicle, court records show.
Toxicology results found his blood-alcohol content was 0.14 percent about 3.5 hours after the crash, Vu said.
Turner’s defense attorney, Charles Buckley, argued that a defense expert would have testified at trial that neither vehicle had stopped at the intersection, which is a four-way stop. However, he said his client wanted to put this behind him.
Turner called the crash “an awful accident” and said he’d like to continue working while serving his sentence so he can support his family and compensate the victims.
Judge Derek Vanderwood took issue with Buckley and Turner referring to the crash as an accident because Turner made the decision to drink and drive.
Still, he agreed to follow the attorneys’ previously agreed-upon sentencing recommendation of six months, with credit for two days in custody. Vanderwood also ordered that Turner serve a year of community custody and undergo a substance abuse evaluation and treatment. Turner’s license was revoked.
