Driver admits to drunken wreck that seriously hurt elderly Kennewick woman

Sentencing was delayed this week for a Kennewick man who has admitted to the drunken crash that left an 88-year-old woman seriously hurt.

Dale A. Gandenberger, 56, pleaded guilty to vehicular assault soon after the February crash, but his sentencing is now delayed until April to give the victim the opportunity to attend the hearing.

A breath test showed Gandenberger had a blood-alcohol level of 0.139%, nearly twice the legal limit, when he drove into the intersection of West Fourth Avenue and South Vancouver Street about 8 p.m. on Feb. 18.

His minivan crashed into a SUV leaving one 88-year-old passenger inside the SUV with broken ribs. The woman’s condition a month after the crash was not immediately available.

Gandenberger, whose license had been suspended when the wreck happened, is facing three to nine months in jail when he is sentenced.

While court documents show he had been ticketed at least four times for driving without a license since 2003. The misdemeanor convictions aren’t playing a role in the length of his sentence.

The two sides have agreed that the sentence will be within the range, but they have not settled on what that amount would be.

He is currently in the Benton County jail waiting for his sentencing date.

Kennewick crash

Gandenberger was behind the wheel of a Town and Country minivan when he crashed into a Toyota Rav 4 at the intersection. When police arrived they found the two vehicles with their front ends stuck together blocking in the intersection.

The driver and passenger of the Rav 4 were still stuck inside of their vehicle when officers arrived.

Gandenberger told officers that he hit the Toyota when it “ran a yellow light,” which would have meant he had a red light, court documents said.

While he told officers that he had been drinking, but said he did not believe he was intoxicated. The officer reported smelling intoxicants coming from him. A breath test at the scene showed his blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit.