Bonney Lake man gets 20 months for wreck that injured his daughter

A Bonney Lake man who was driving drunk when he wrecked his car, injuring his 3-year-old daughter, was sentenced Friday to one year, eight months in prison.

Zack Baker, 28, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of vehicular assault and one count of reckless endangerment in the September wreck that left his daughter with a broken collar bone.

Pierce County deputy prosecutor Tim Jones said the girl was not buckled into a safety seat or otherwise restrained when Baker, at the wheel of a Toyota Camry, collided with a pickup near the intersection of Portland Avenue and state Route 512.

Baker admitted as part of his plea deal that he was under the influence and driving recklessly. Court records indicate there were four adults and three children in his car.

One of the adults was Shawna Barrett, the mother of Baker’s children.

On Friday, she asked Judge Stanley Rumbaugh to show Baker leniency.

“He’s a good person,” Barrett said. “He made a very bad decision. He loves his children.”

Baker said he intended to seek help for alcohol addiction when he’s released from prison.

“This had a very tragic impact on my family, on me and on the other person involved,” he said.

Rumbaugh then handed down a high-end sentence of 20 months.

“This is the kind of behavior that gets people killed,” the judge said.

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Bonney Lake man gets 20 months for wreck that injured his daughter."