Pierce County prosecutors have charged a Gig Harbor man accused of drunkenly driving his car into oncoming traffic on Wollochet Drive Northwest on Thursday and hitting two vehicles head-on.
Darrell Cunningham, 66, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of felony vehicular assault by DUI and reckless endangerment. His bail was set at $75,000. Cunningham was booked into the Pierce County Jail on Sunday after being released from the hospital for injuries suffered in the crash.
Charging papers gave this account:
When interviewed at the hospital, Cunningham told sheriff’s deputies he did not remember the crash, but must have been heading home. A portable breathalyzer registered his alcohol level at 0.14, well above the legal limit of 0.08.
Witnesses said Cunningham’s Volkswagon Jetta crossed the roadway’s yellow line about 6:15 p.m. and struck a PT Cruiser. A woman behind the wheel of the second vehicle was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car. She suffered a fractured tailbone and multiple abrasions.
The woman’s husband, who was in the passenger seat, told deputies he is partially blind and suffers from various medical conditions and did not remember much about the accident. He found his wife lying on the ground outside after the crash.
Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said this is the second time in six months Cunningham has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
Stacia Glenn: 253-597-8653 stacia.glenn@ thenewstribune.com
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