$5.3M Settlement
An hour after midnight on January 1, 2021, Jared West left his house and walked up to Montlake Boulevard near Husky Stadium. He had been celebrating the New Year and was clearly impaired. He walked out into traffic. Cars swerved around him and honked at him.
Meanwhile, an 18-year-old, unlicensed driver came upon the scene speeding through the area at 63 MPH (the speed limit is 30 MPH), and struck Jared. Jared died at the scene. The driver sped away, abandoned his car, and ran away on foot. Police later tracked him down, at which time he smelled of alcohol. Four hours after the fatal crash, his BAC measured at .16. Our toxicologist calculated that his BAC would have been .24 at the time of the crash.
At the time of his death, Jared was three months from graduating with a Construction Management degree from the University of Washington, and with an offer to work for Howard S. Wright after graduation. His friends and family all described him as a happy and gregarious person.
Jared West
The parties reached the $5.3 million settlement prior to litigation.