MARYSVILLE — The man alleged to have caused the worst drunken driving crash in recent Snohomish County history on Sunday told police he drank eight beers before getting behind the wheel.
Two hours after the crash that killed four people, Matthew C. McDonald, 27 of Snohomish, allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .123, according to a police report filed Monday in Everett District Court. That’s 1.5 times the legal limit.
McDonald is being held for investigation of four counts of vehicular homicide. A judge ordered him held in lieu of $1 million bail.
While McDonald appeared for a court hearing, friends and family were gathering to comfort two families who lived across the street from each other in rural Clearview.
Among those killed was Bradley Agerup, 54, and his wife, Melissa, 48. Bradley Agerup worked for 26 years as a physical education teacher at Mariner High School, principal Brent Kline said. Agerup was the athletic trainer for the Mukilteo School District and was much loved by his students, Kline said.
Also killed were Hilda Woods, 62, and Thomas Woods, 57, according the Washington State Patrol.
The two couples were in a southbound car that was struck by a Ford Explorer that ran a stop sign around 6:15 p.m. at Highway 9 near Marysville.
Detectives allege McDonald was driving at least 40 mph in a 35 mph zone when he failed to stop and crashed into the other car, the court document said.
After the crash, McDonald fled but was later convinced to surrender, the patrol reported. He suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital and released. A 32-year-old passenger in his car also was injured.
A passenger in McDonald’s vehicle told police he had asked the man to slow down prior to the crash, the court document said.
The crash is the deadliest drunken driving related incident in the county in recent memory, said Tracy McMillan, the Snohomish County DUI Task Force Coordinator.
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