Deputy John Sadro allegedly ran a stop sign at 23rd Street and Rockefeller Avenue in Everett on April 17, 2015, triggering a chain-reaction crash that sent five people to the hospital, including a construction worker who was crushed and lost his legs.

Deputy John Sadro allegedly ran a stop sign at 23rd Street and Rockefeller Avenue in Everett on April 17, 2015, triggering a chain-reaction crash that sent five people to the hospital, including a construction worker who was crushed and lost his legs.

Snohomish County deputy charged with vehicular assault

EVERETT — A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with vehicular assault, a felony, in connection with an on-duty crash last year.

Deputy John Sadro allegedly ran a stop sign on April 17, 2015, at the intersection of 23rd Street and Rockefeller Avenue in north Everett. That triggered a chain-reaction crash that sent five people to the hospital, including a construction worker who lost both his legs.

The deputy was driving up to 49 mph in a 25 mph stretch of road before the crash, court papers show.

“The proximate cause of this collision sequence was speeding and failure to (stop at) the stop sign on the part of Deputy Sadro,” Skagit County prosecutors wrote.

The construction worker Tom Gillette, 60, and his wife have since filed two claims with the county seeking $35 million in damages. They are alleging negligence, according to public records obtained by The Daily Herald.

Two other claims also are pending from the crash, including one from a man who was a passenger in the deputy’s Ford Crown Victoria. The deputy was driving the man to testify in a trial. That man is seeking $1 million for unspecified injuries.

The fourth claim is from the insurance company representing the driver of the Honda Element that broadsided the Ford. The Honda’s driver had the right of way at the intersection.

After that impact, the deputy’s car spun and struck Gillette’s parked pickup, pinning the Darrington-area man between the two vehicles. The pickup then hit another parked truck, involving four vehicles in all.

Gillette was unloading saw-horses from his parked truck when he was struck, according to his claim. In addition to losing his legs, he suffered spinal fractures and a ruptured spleen and nearly died from blood loss.

After screaming and then whispering for help, he tried to stay calm to conserve energy, his attorneys wrote. He was still awake when he arrived at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he stayed two months.

Gillette has undergone at least 12 major surgeries and faces medical expenses for the rest of his life.

He “continues to suffer incredible pain every day,” the claim says.

In the months after the crash, the county paid for renovations to make Gillette’s home more wheelchair-friendly and also for a van that can accommodate a wheelchair.

Sheriff Ty Trenary issued a prepared statement about the case on Thursday.

“This was a terrible accident and we are doing everything we can to help them in whatever way we can,” he said.

The Washington State Patrol’s collision investigation recently wrapped up, after nearly a year. In April, the agency declined to discuss the detectives’ findings, referring all questions to prosecutors.

Sadro, 55, was charged Wednesday in Snohomish County Superior Court. The charging decision was made by Skagit County prosecutors, who were asked to review the case to avoid a conflict of interest. The charge alleges that Sadro was reckless or disregarded the safety of others when he caused Gillette’s injuries.

Sadro has been with the sheriff’s office since 2006. He was put on paid administrative leave after the crash and returned to patrol in May 2015.

Since charges were filed, Sadro was placed on desk duty and won’t be in patrol pending the outcome of his criminal case, sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.

The sheriff’s office also has started an internal investigation to determine if any policies were violated.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Bodies of two men recovered after falling into Eagle Falls near Index

Two men fell into the falls and did not resurface Saturday, authorities said. After a recovery effort, two bodies were found.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.