EVERETT — A drunken late-night ride in a souped-up Jeep along Mukilteo Boulevard in March left one young man dead and another facing criminal charges.
Everett police recently completed their investigation. They determined that the man who died, Paul S. Linari, 21, had been the driver, records show.
Linari and his girlfriend, also 21, were thrown from his Jeep when it collided with a van and then struck a guardrail about 10:15 p.m. March 13.
Another passenger in the Jeep, a man who was 20 at the time, reportedly ran from the scene, hid in Linari’s house and lied to officers when they showed up.
Detectives now have recommended the man be charged with making false statements to police, a misdemeanor. City prosecutors are reviewing the case.
The Herald recently obtained through a public records request the documents describing detectives’ findings. Since the crash, police had declined to release additional details until they wrapped up their investigation.
The records show that officers found a confusing, rainy scene on a curvy stretch of the road near Forest Park.
Investigators believe the speeding Jeep was westbound when it sideswiped an eastbound van and hit a guardrail. Linari was thrown into the roadway. Passersby attempted CPR, but the 2011 Kamiak High School graduate died at the scene.
The female passenger was taken to the hospital. She told officers that she and the others had met up at Linari’s house and wanted to test-drive some new equipment on his Jeep. Police believe all three young people had been drinking, and toxicology tests showed Linari’s blood-alcohol content at .14, above the legal limit.
Beer bottles and cans were found at the crash scene, in the Jeep and at the house a few blocks away, records show.
The van driver told police she had swerved to avoid a head-on collision after the Jeep crossed the center line.
A police dog tracked the man who ran from the scene to Linari’s house. The man reportedly told police he’d heard about the crash but was not involved.
The Jeep’s removable doors were leaning against the garage. The man eventually admitted to police that he had been in the Jeep. He was arrested and taken to the hospital for a blood draw in part because police weren’t sure at the time which of the young men had been driving.
The man submitted a written statement to police, who determined his story was false. He then submitted a second statement. The young woman did not submit a written statement despite detectives’ requests.
Police also talked to a neighbor who had surveillance video showing the Jeep driving through his lawn not long before the crash.
“There is no evidence to identify anybody but Paul Linari as the Jeep’s driver,” detectives wrote in their report.
In addition, the report says, the other man’s deception “significantly hindered and delayed” the investigation.
Linari was born and raised in Everett, according to his obituary. He was described as an enthusiastic and genuine young man who loved lacrosse, outdoor sports and bonfires.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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