He called 911 to say he hit something on the highway. Now he’s charged in man’s death
A man accused of driving drunk and fatally striking a 32-year-old man walking on the side of state Route 162 near Orting last week has been charged.
Brayden James Christman, 22, was charged Friday in Pierce County Superior Court with vehicular homicide and failure to remain at an accident resulting in death.
Christman was arraigned Friday afternoon, and a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf. Court Commissioner Craig Adams set his bail at $250,000.
He is charged in the death of a man who Washington State Patrol troopers said was walking east on state Route 162 around 8:15 p.m. Feb. 16 when Christman struck him from behind in a 2009 Dodge Ram pickup.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has not publicly released the name of the victim.
While troopers were investigating, Christman called 911 to report that he believed he hit something on state Route 162. Officers went to his home and found a Dodge truck that matched evidence found at the scene.
Troopers said Christman smelled of intoxicants, and he told troopers he drank two beers that day. The defendant was taken to the hospital to have his blood drawn for testing.
Charging documents gave this account:
WSP troopers responded about 8:10 p.m. to a report of a pedestrian struck by a car on eastbound state Route 162 near Orville Road. An off-duty Tacoma Fire Department unit was on the scene performing CPR on the pedestrian.
When troopers arrived, they found the victim lying in the grass about 20 feet from the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Vehicle debris was scattered along the eastbound lane, and a trooper was able to find a serial number on one piece of red debris, according to the declaration for determination of probable cause.
While troopers were investigating, they were advised that a 911 caller, who identified himself as Brayden Christman, reported he had just hit something on state Route 162 near Orville Road, and he had been driving a red Dodge pickup.
Troopers went to Christman’s residence in Bonney Lake, where they found a red 2009 Dodge Ram parked in the driveway. Fresh blood and hair was visible in the windshield.
Christman answered the door when troopers knocked and stepped outside. According to the probable cause document, Christman smelled of intoxicants and the trooper said the defendant’s speech was slurred.
“I 100 percent think I hit someone with this truck,” Christman told the trooper, unprompted.
Asked why he thought that, the defendant said he was driving on Orville Road when he noticed a person standing on the right side of the road. He told the trooper that as he passed the person, he wasn’t sure if the pedestrian had jumped into the roadway or not.
Troopers noted that while the defendant was answering questions, he lost his balance and stumbled backward, nearly falling over. Christman told the trooper he drank two beers when he got home after the collision.
The trooper spoke to the registered owner of the pickup truck, who said Christman was intoxicated when he got home, and that he didn’t have anything else to drink.
