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A 21-year-old Chehalis man is facing DUI and felony hit-and-run charges after twice crashing his vehicle in Centralia early Sunday morning.
Benjamin Thomas Leboeuf made his first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court via a video feed from the Lewis County Jail on Monday afternoon, Oct. 26.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office asked Judge Joely Yeager to set bail at $100,000.
“By sheer luck, no one was hurt or killed in the collision,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Bradley Meagher said.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller, who represents most defendants for their initial hearings in Lewis County, requested Leboeuf’s unsecured release, citing his lack of criminal history, family support in the courtroom and a release condition that would prohibit him from consuming drugs or alcohol.
“He has a bright, bright future,” Tiller said, noting Leboeuf is a college student and fire department volunteer who is considering joining the military.
Yeager ultimately set bail at $50,000 unsecured after Leboeuf’s parents agreed to cosign the bond, meaning they will be held financially responsible if Leboeuf fails to appear in court for future hearings or otherwise violates his conditions of release.
Leboeuf is required to acquire an alcohol-monitoring device before he can be released from jail, and he isn’t allowed to consume alcohol or be present at bars, taverns or anywhere else where it is served.
“Do you understand what’s at stake if you violate the conditions in any way, shape or form?” Yeager asked Leboeuf, who said he understood.
Leboeuf remained in the Lewis County Jail as of Tuesday morning.
He is charged with hit-and-run, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, as well as driving while under the influence, a gross misdemeanor punishable by 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by prosecutors, Centralia police responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash at about 2:20 a.m. Oct. 25 at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Interstate 5 southbound.
An officer spoke to a Washington State Patrol trooper at the scene who reported that the victim’s vehicle was turning left onto Harrison Avenue coming from the freeway when the suspect’s vehicle, traveling westbound on Harrison Avenue, caused the collision. The officer observed the victim’s Buick Verano, which had damage to its rear left quarter panel while its rear bumper was “hanging off.”
In addition to the driver, there were three passengers in the victim’s vehicle.
“All the occupants stated they were feeling pain and requested to be seen by Riverside Fire personnel who were on scene,” the affidavit states. “The occupants stated they were making a left turn at the intersection and had a green light when the suspect's white SUV sped through the intersection. The front of the suspect vehicle struck the rear left of the Buick and spun them around. The vehicle then fled southbound on the I5 southbound collector lane.”
A short time later, Centralia police officers were notified by Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies that the suspect was possibly in custody on Scammon Creek Road near Graf Road.
Two men were detained when the officers arrived at the second crash scene, with one identifying himself as the passenger and Laboeuf being identified as the driver.
While speaking with Laboeuf, an officer noted an “extreme odor of intoxicants.”
The officer “asked him how much alcohol he had tonight, and he said a couple, and then later stated probably too much,” the affidavit states.
Laboeuf claimed he did not remember the first crash on Harrison Avenue or even being in Centralia. He said he remembered the second crash.
Laboeuf was asked to perform standard field sobriety tests and agreed to let the officer look at his eyes. The officer “observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in both eyes,” the affidavit states.
A Centralia police sergeant “arrived and compared the bumper that was left at the scene of the hit-and-run, and it was an exact match to Mr. Laboeuf’s vehicle,” the affidavit states.
Laboeuf was then arrested for DUI and hit-and-run.
“Mr. Laboeuf had to be helped up to his feet and nearly fell over multiple times while in custody due to his level of intoxication,” the affidavit states. “Mr. Laboeuf refused to provide a breath sample.”
A Centralia officer applied for, and received, a search warrant for a blood sample from Laboeuf, which was drawn at 5:03 a.m.
An officer subsequently followed up with the occupants of the victim’s vehicle at around 8:10 p.m.
One passenger stated the left side of her face was numb and she had blurred vision in her left eye. Another passenger reported pain in his neck, lower back and right shoulder had increased, as well as pain in his left arm. The driver of the victim vehicle stated her pain levels had decreased and she had no observable injuries. Another passenger stated he had lower back and left hip pain that had increased. The officer observed bruising on his lower back. The occupants were all checked out at Providence Centralia Hospital, with two of them being diagnosed with contusions.
Laboeuf will appear in Lewis County Superior Court for his arraignment and trial setting hearing on Thursday. He’s being represented by defense attorney Don Blair.
