Driver convicted in crash that killed Monroe High grad, 24

MONROE — A jury last week convicted a Shoreline woman of driving erratically when she killed another woman in a crash on Highway 522 in 2020.

The verdict against Addele Wells, 58, came after a 4-day trial last week in Snohomish County Superior Court. The jury found Wells guilty of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault for the crash that killed Megan Barney, 24.

Numerous witnesses saw Wells driving recklessly in a Kia Sedona on the afternoon of Aug. 15, 2020, according to the charging papers. One got off the highway out of fear of a crash. Others saw her crossing the median into oncoming westbound traffic, causing two “near misses,” a witness told investigators. Another witness tried to give the minivan room to pass, but instead Wells drove onto the grass off the shoulder and then swerved back across the lane into oncoming traffic.

This witness later saw Wells banging her hand on the dashboard before yanking the steering wheel, sending her Sedona into the westbound lane and strike an Audi driven by Barney’s boyfriend, according to court documents.

Another driver on the highway described the crash as an explosion.

Both cars came to rest upside down, their engine compartments obliterated, according to court papers.

Inside the Sedona, investigators reportedly found broken wine bottles. While at the hospital, a Washington State Patrol trooper noticed Wells’ eyes were bloodshot and her speech slurred, indicating she may have been drinking before the crash. But a year after the crash, a blood sample found no alcohol or drugs in her system.

The boyfriend broke his femur and part of his spinal cord. He underwent multiple surgeries, including to use a nail to reconnect and align his femur.

Barney died days later at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle from the injuries she suffered in the crash.

Barney graduated from Monroe High School and Eastern Washington University, an obituary noted.

“She loved dogs, snowboarding, water sports, running, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends as well as her boyfriend,” the obituary stated.

Wells had no criminal history. Under state sentencing guidelines, she faces between just under eight years and nearly 10½ years behind bars.

Sentencing is set for Oct. 24.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the range of sentences the defendant faces under state guidelines.

Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; X: @GoldsteinStreet.