KENT, Wash. — The man accused of hitting and killing a 12-year-old boy riding a scooter in Kent pleaded not guilty Monday in a King County Courthouse.
Carson Quinlin faces charges of vehicular homicide and reckless driving after he lost control of his truck and drove onto the shoulder, colliding with and killing Gabriel Coury on July 11, according to court documents.
Quinlin, 19, also is charged with possession of a pistol or semiautomatic rifle after a homemade loaded gun was found under his driver's seat.
The Kent Police Department and Puget Sound Fire responded to the intersection of 132nd Avenue SE and SE 230th Street just after 7 p.m.
Quinlin told police at the scene that he had been traveling southbound on 132nd Avenue SE when he passed slower-moving traffic by driving into the northbound lanes of the roadway. He lost control as he was coming back into the southbound lanes, and eventually drove onto the shoulder, where he struck a parked car.
The defendant admitted to having drank four Twisted Teas and smoked marijuana before driving the truck, and a portable breath test conducted after the crash found Quinlin's blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit.
Coury was riding his scooter home from a friend's house when he was hit by Quinlin's truck and ejected onto the sidewalk. Life-saving measures were attempted, but Coury was pronounced dead at the scene.
Coury’s parents spoke to KING 5 shortly after their son's death.
“On his way home, he texted ‘I’m on my way. I’m leaving.’ I said ‘OK, bud. I’ll see you soon,’” his mom Shellie Coury said.
"He was selfless, loving, caring, kind – mature behind imagination,” his dad Michael Coury said. A GoFundMe has been set up for their family.
More than 100 people gathered earlier this month to honor the life of the young athlete. He was a catcher that was making the transition from Little League to competitive ball.
“They’re starting to put all those fundamentals together and actually really starting to play the game the way it should be played,” said Steve Pettit, Coury’s Little League coach.
Both of his coaches described a talented baseball player who was too kind to be aggressive – something they were working on together. A pain of loss, a wonder of what could have been that the whole team is carrying.
“The last week has been horrible. My kids went to school with him, my son was on the same team as him, so it’s been rough in my house,” Pettit continued.