Man drove drunk and rear-ended Mercedes in Parkland, killing 72-year-old, charges say
A man was charged Thursday in Pierce County for allegedly driving drunk and rear-ending a car in Parkland last year, killing a 72-year-old man and severely injuring his wife.
Connor Reece Simmons, 23, was charged in Pierce County Superior Court with vehicular homicide and DUI vehicular assault. He is to be arraigned Aug. 11.
According to charging documents, Simmons was driving south on Spanaway Loop Road the night of June 12, 2021 when he struck the back of a Mercedes sedan at a high rate of speed. The Mercedes hit a tree before coming to a stop on the shoulder near 133rd Street Court East. Simmons allegedly struck a mailbox before coming to a stop nearby.
A Washington State Patrol trooper noticed the crash and called for emergency personnel, records say. Simmons walked away from his vehicle, charging papers said, and crews had to cut the occupants of the Mercedes out of the car.
The driver was later identified by the Pierce County Medical Examiner as Stephen Randolph Shelton, of Eatonville. He and his then-69-year-old wife were transported to a hospital, where Shelton died of his injuries.
Law enforcement suspected Simmons was driving under the influence of alcohol, and he was arrested at the scene. According to court documents, results of toxicology testing that came back July 6 said his blood alcohol level was about 0.24, above the legal limit of 0.08.
Simmons also allegedly had a small amount of THC in his blood, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. His THC level was about 1.1 nanograms per milliliter, below the legal limit of 5 ng/ml, court records said.
Charging documents gave this account:
A state trooper was driving on Spanaway Loop Road at about 11:10 p.m. when he noticed a white SUV on the shoulder with its flashers on. As he approached, he discovered a collision had occurred.
The SUV had struck a gray Mercedes sedan, causing both cars’ airbags to deploy and extensively damaging both vehicles, according to the declaration for determination of probable cause. The Mercedes appeared to have struck a large tree after the initial impact.
The trooper activated his emergency lights and called for emergency personnel to respond. As he stopped his patrol vehicle, a man emerged from the SUV who appeared unsteady on his feet.
Upon contacting the driver, identified as Simmons, the trooper noticed the man’s speech was slurred, he had bloodshot eyes and an odor of intoxicants on him, records allege.
The trooper went to the Mercedes next, where he saw a man in the driver’s seat who was not conscious or breathing. In the passenger seat, a woman was in “obvious distress,” and her legs were pinned beneath the dashboard.
Emergency personnel arrived and extricated the man from the vehicle, then began CPR. A second team freed the woman. According to the probable cause document, both were transported to St. Joseph’s Medical Center. The driver died at the hospital.
Deputies from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department arrived and took charge of the scene and investigation. According to the document, deputies determined the defendant rear-ended another car at a high rate of speed while southbound on Spanaway Loop Road. Both cars continued south after the collision before coming to a stop off the road.
The defendant was removed from the State Patrol vehicle, and deputies reported that they could smell intoxicants in the back of the car. He was transported to St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood to draw blood for toxicology testing.
This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
