From staff reports:
During his arraignment on Tuesday, 21-year-old Yevgeny Gil was pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular assault and felony hit and run. The Auburn man is accused of driving drunk and causing a multiple car collision that seriously injured a 17-year-old girl July 1.
Several other people received minor injuries. Gil remains in jail on $300,000 bail. A case setting hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, courtroom GB.
According to charging papers, Gil was involved in an accident around 9:15 p.m. July 1 at the intersection of S. 272nd Street and Pacific Highway South near Federal Way.
Two witnesses to the accident stated they saw Gil’s vehicle traveling northbound at a high rate of speed. The other three vehicles involved in the crash — a black Saab, a white Nissan and a minivan — were stopped while waiting for the traffic light to change. Gil’s vehicle crashed into the back of the Saab, which caused the car to crash into the back of the Nissan, which caused it to crash into the back of the minivan, according to charging papers. The force caused Gil’s SUV to flip.
The driver of the Saab, 17-year-old Jontira Elmore, and her passenger were transported to Highline Medical Center. Elmore was then taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with traumatic brain injuries. She has left frontal intraparenchymal hemorrhage and is slowly recovering.
One of the witnesses attempted to assist Gil out of his vehicle, at which point Gil took off running, according to charging papers. Both witnesses stated they could smell an overwhelming odor of alcohol coming from Gil, according to charging papers.
After police located Gil, he was taken to St. Francis Hospital for his injuries. The officer escorting him there stated he could smell a strong odor of alcohol from Gil’s breath, according to charging papers.
Gil claimed a friend was driving his vehicle and that he ran because a man with a gun was robbing him, according to charging papers.
Gil has had prior DUI arrests. He is currently awaiting sentencing for reckless driving, amended from a DUI on March 23, 2010, and has a DUI from March 16, 2007. He also has a reckless driving arrest from 2005, two ignition interlock device (IID) violations from 2008, driving with a suspended license in 2009, and a hit and run violation from 2005, according to charging papers.
