More than one year after his arrest, charges were filed Dec. 1 against Sequim resident Elijah Robert Sanford for two alleged counts of vehicular assault reckless manner-aggravated circumstance and alleged vehicular assault reckless manner on Nov. 24, 2013.
Sanford is set to appear before Clallam County Superior Court at 9 a.m., Friday, Jan. 2, for his arraignment.
Sanford, then 18 years old, was arrested on Nov. 24, 2013, following a car crash that resulted in serious injuries to Cailey Stipe, a then 15-year-old Sequim resident and Garrett Payton, a then 19-year-old from Port Angeles.
The police report states that at a little before 2 a.m. Sanford was driving a Volkswagen Golf eastbound on Heuhslein Road. As the car approached Spring Road, Sanford lost control of the vehicle and after leaving the road, the vehicle rolled several times.
Sanford was found with marijuana and admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana earlier that night.
He volunteered to provide a breath sample, which showed a 0.055 blood alcohol concentration. The Washington limit is 0.08.
Sanford was booked into Clallam County jail for driving under the influence as a minor, possession of marijuana, reckless driving and two counts of vehicular assault.
He was released without bail and was ordered to appear in Superior Court on Dec. 2, 2013, to be charged, but Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Trobert declined to file formal charges at the time, saying the “state will let law enforcement complete their investigation before making a charging decision on this potential vehicular assault case.”
Per count Sanford faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and/or $20,000 fine.