Driver’s alcohol level nearly 3 times limit before Kennewick crash

A Connell man’s blood-alcohol level was almost three times above the legal limit to drive when he crashed into another car in Kennewick last week.

When an officer found a receipt in his coat pocket for a half gallon of whiskey, David M. Rae, 30, allegedly admitted he drank a lot the night before.

Rae pleaded innocent this week in Benton County Superior Court to vehicular assault while under the influence and driving with a suspended license. The other driver required immediate surgery for a broken wrist, court documents said.

Rae’s trial is March 27. In the meantime, he has been ordered not to drink any alcohol and not to drive unless he has a valid license.

He remains in the Benton County jail on $5,000 bail.

Documents show Rae was driving north on Quincy Street on Jan. 25 when he turned left onto Canal Drive in front of a Dodge Neon.

Rae told Kennewick police that the crash was his fault, and that he had stopped his Pontiac Grand Prix at the stop sign but failed to see the Dodge when he pulled onto Canal, documents said.

Officers found Crystal L. Thorne “yelling in pain” in the driver’s seat of the Dodge. Thorne, 42, of Kennewick, also is suspected of driving under the influence.

One officer said Rae “was very calm, and seemed to stare through him,” court documents said. Another noted that Rae’s speech sounded slurred, his responses were delayed and he allegedly had trouble doing some field sobriety tests.

He then agreed to do a portable breath test, which reportedly gave a reading of 0.216 percent. The legal limit to drive in Washington state is up to 0.08 percent.

This story was originally published February 5, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Driver’s alcohol level nearly 3 times limit before Kennewick crash."