A 19-year-old man has been accused of driving under the influence and causing a two-vehicle wreck in Parkland that killed another driver.
Alan Eufracio-Vasquez was charged with vehicular homicide Monday in Pierce County Superior Court. A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf at arraignment Tuesday afternoon, according to court records, and Commissioner Philip Thornton set bail at $30,000.
The defendant was released on bail and placed on alcohol monitoring, records show.
"As an attorney, I just ask that people have trust in the legal system and not rush to judgment before all the evidence is examined," the defendant's attorney, James White, said in an email to The News Tribune.
Triston Smith of Spanaway suffered critical injuries in the Friday collision and died Sunday, according to charging documents. A GoFundMe set up to help with funeral expenses stated that Smith, 24, was a father to a 4-year-old girl. He graduated from Spanaway Lake High School and worked as a plumber.
Pierce County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to the incident at about 1:06 a.m. at 13705 Spanaway Loop Road S. Sgt. Darren Moss said Smith's vehicle was struck head-on, then crashed into a telephone pole.
The first deputy to arrive found Smith in his vehicle in poor condition. Moss said Central Pierce Fire & Rescue personnel extricated him from the car, which was severely damaged, and transported him to a hospital.
The deputy located Eufracio-Vasquez in his vehicle farther down the road. According to the probable cause document, the man said he had been involved in a collision and struck the other vehicle. The deputy reportedly smelled intoxicants on his breath.
Eufracio-Vasquez was taken to a hospital for a blood draw. Toxicology results are pending. Moss said the man was medically cleared and booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of vehicular assault.
The defendant does not appear to have any prior felony convictions. Prior to arraignment Tuesday, nearly 70 pages of letters of support were submitted for Eufracio-Vasquez from family friends and community members.
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