Pierce County prosecutors have charged two men in connection with a high-speed race that ended in a crash near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and injured two women in another car.
Prosecutors say that Richard Hernandez Vadillo, 21, and Peter F. Hungate, 54, were racing the night of July 1 eastbound on state Route 16. Vadillo was driving a black BMW, Hungate a white Porsche, according to court documents.
The two left the Narrows Bridge toll plaza and crossed the bridge at 85 to 100 mph, the documents state. When Vadillo tried to pass the Porsche near Jackson Avenue, he hit the back of a third car, which rolled onto its top, according to the documents.
The two women in the third car were treated at a local hospital; Vadillo and a passenger were injured as well. Washington State Patrol troopers suspected Vadillo was drunk because his eyes were red and watery, and his breath smelled of alcohol. His blood-alcohol level was 0.08, the legal limit, court documents state.
The Porsche didn’t stop. Troopers identified Hungate as the driver after reviewing surveillance video from the toll plaza, interviewing witnesses and contacting a Porsche dealership in Tacoma, court documents state.
Prosecutors charged Vadillo last month with vehicular assault. He pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors charged Hungate with vehicular assault and failure to remain at the scene of an injury accident. He pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Friday and was released on his own recognizance.
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