His third DUI killed a Tacoma woman. Here’s how long he’ll be in prison
A man accused of driving under the influence of alcohol in Puyallup last year and running a red light, causing a crash that killed a 63-year-old woman, was sentenced last month to prison.
Anthony Younger, 48, was sentenced March 18 in Pierce County Superior Court for vehicular homicide in the death of Karen Wyciskala, of Tacoma. Superior Judge Susan Adams ordered the defendant to spend 11 years, two months in prison, the low end of the standard sentencing range for such cases.
The standard range is between 11 years, 2 months in prison and 13 years, 6 months, according to sentencing documents.
Younger was convicted of DUI in Seattle Municipal Court in 2009 and in Shoreline in 2001. He was also convicted of negligent driving in 2009, and he has convictions for theft, burglary and domestic violence assaults.
The collision occurred the afternoon of March 19, 2021, at a three-way intersection near Pioneer Way East, Woodland Avenue East and 72nd Avenue East. According to charging documents, witnesses saw Younger speeding, driving erratically and arguing with a woman in his passenger seat shortly before the wreck.
At the intersection, Younger allegedly went through a red light when he struck the side of Wyciskala’s SUV. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Younger was not seriously injured, but his passenger suffered a broken collarbone and a tear in her abdomen.
Younger pleaded guilty in February to driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a collision that killed Wyciskala. According to a prosecutor’s statement filed in the case, the defendant pleaded guilty in exchange for the dismissal of his vehicular assault charge, which was related to the passenger’s injuries.
Questioned by police inside an ambulance after the crash, Younger said he drank “three shots” before getting behind the wheel, according to the declaration for determination of probable cause.
A toxicology test found the man had a blood alcohol content of 0.19 when his blood was drawn at Tacoma General Hospital. The legal limit is 0.08.
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
