OLYMPIA, Wash. — The suspect accused of killing a Chehalis mother and her 2-year-old son in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 5 appeared in court on Monday afternoon.
According to probable cause documents, the 27-year-old was arrested on suspicion of two counts of vehicular homicide – under the influence and one count of vehicular assault – under the influence.
Prosecutors said the suspect kept repeating, "I just killed someone" moments after a crash killed Samantha Denney, 31, and her 2-year-old son, Adonis Miller on Friday night. Denney's 8-year-old daughter was critically injured in the crash.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) said the suspect was traveling the wrong way in a southbound lane of I-5 around 11:47 p.m. The driver crashed head-on into a sedan, which was traveling in the correct direction in the southbound lanes, Washington State Patrol said in a news release on Saturday. The sedan came to rest on a cement barrier.
Miller was killed at the scene of the crash, while Denney died at the Olympia Airport, according to deputies. Denney's daughter was taken to a nearby hospital but she is expected to survive.
Deputies said the suspect had bloodshot watery eyes, and slurred speech and deputies at the scene could smell intoxicants from his breath. The suspect took a preliminary breathalyzer test at the scene, which provided a sample of 0.31 – nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08, according to probable cause documents. The 27-year-old was charged with DUI in 2015 when he was underage, according to the WSP. H
The suspect is being held in the Thurston County Jail on a $250,000 bail. He is due back in court on Nov. 28.
KING 5 learned Sunday there was another victim in that crash that went unreported.
"We were getting ready to have another kid," said Kameron Miller, Denney's boyfriend of more than three years.
Denney was pregnant, and Miller was faced with the devastation of losing his girlfriend, son, and unborn child in the crash.
"We were getting ready to have our first ultrasound on the 14th of this month," Miller said. "It's just - it hurts. You don't know what to feel.”
Miller visited Denney's daughter in the hospital on Sunday. She is not his biological daughter, but he said he cares for her just the same.
"It's not a good feeling knowing that you're supposed to be there to protect people, you weren't there, and then you see your little girl like that, it's just..." Miller said. "Not something anybody should have to deal with."
He told KING 5 he was devastated to lose his son. He described Miller as, "always curious about everything."
"Always was wanting to play outside, do what dad does,” Denney said.
Denney attended Pe Ell High School. A group of longtime friends of Denney's from childhood gathered to share memories of her with KING 5 on Sunday evening.
"She was that mom of the year, always," said Cara Ebeling, a friend.
"Honestly I've never felt, like physical heartbreak until yesterday," said Mandy Williams, another longtime friend.
Her friends said they admired how outspoken and confident she was.
"Right out of high school, she saved me from getting beat up," said Janelle Ellson, a friend.