Man gets 5 years in prison for fatal crash

Published 3:08 pm Tuesday, June 17, 2008

LAKE STEVENS — A felon who crashed a stolen car into another vehicle last year was sentenced this afternoon to more than five years in prison for vehicular homicide and other crimes.

Joshua Dale Pettey, 24, ran a stop sign and caused a crash that contributed to the death of Jack VanHouten, 78, prosecutors wrote. Three other people also were injured in the crash.

Pettey broadsided the victim’s car on Lundeen Parkway as the family was returning home on Thanksgiving Day 2007, court records show. Pettey then broke out a window in the stolen Honda and ran from the accident. He was under state supervision for previous convictions, prosecutors wrote.

Pettey has done time for drug possession, attempting to elude a police vehicle and possessing stolen property.