Chase Daniel Jones: Teen pleads not guilty from hospital bed for high-speed crash that claimed 4 lives
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
RENTON, WASHINGTON: Eighteen-year-old Chase Daniel Jones, lying in a hospital bed, entered a plea of not guilty to charges stemming from a tragic car crash that took the lives of a woman and three children in Washington state.
The devastating collision, which occurred on March 19 in King County, resulted in a flurry of charges against Jones, including four counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault, and one count of reckless driving.
Insights into the tragic car crash
The incident unfolded when Andrea Hudson, 38, was driving a van carrying five children, including two of her own. The high-speed collision involving four vehicles unfolded shortly before 1 pm, claiming the lives of Hudson, Matilda Wilcoxson, 13, Eloise Wilcoxson, 12, and Boyd Brown, 12.
Hudson's children, Nolan and Charlotte, suffered critical injuries and were rushed to a local hospital, while one other individual received treatment for minor injuries.
According to court documents, Jones stands accused of driving at a staggering 112 mph and running a red light, leading to the catastrophic crash that instantly claimed the lives of the victims. Disturbingly, records indicate that this is not the first time Jones has been involved in such incidents, with three prior crashes attributed to speeding within the last year.
Allegedly driving a 2015 Audi A4 purchased just weeks before the tragedy, this marked the third vehicle Jones had "totaled in a crash involving speed in 11 months."
Legal arguments clash over interpretation of teen's actions in fatal crash
Amy J Freedheim, a senior deputy prosecuting attorney, highlighted Jones's reckless behavior, citing he "was witnessed speeding and weaving around other traffic and using the shared turn lane to pass."
She said, "His driving has been also captured on videos. Witnesses were alerted to his aggressive driving and excessive speeding on the 40mph posted road. Crash data from his vehicle corroborates the witness," reported People.
Despite the mounting evidence, Jones's attorney, Bradley G Barshis, argued that his client's actions "is not out there stealing cars, having a gun, intentionally trying to commit a violent crime. This is an allegation in which my client may have made a dumb mistake by driving above the speed limit. That's the allegation."
During the hearing, emotional statements were made by Chace Wilcoxson, the father of two of the victims, who said of Jones, "Your honor, I don't have evidence of remorse or of his home environment being the right environment for him to heal and change and become the man that he should become,"
The court set Jones's bail at $100,000, with recommendations for electronic home monitoring upon release.
