Washington State Patrol

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL

A bicyclist was struck and killed by a DUI driver at 4:04 am on Jan. 1, 2017, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper J. Leibrecht. 

Police report that Melissa Anne Paul, 27, of Mead, Washington, was operating a 2004 Toyota 4 Runner westbound on Rt. 2 at Flint Road two miles east of Airway when police say that she struck and killed Ty Matthew Olds, 44, of Spokane, who was pronounced dead at the scene.  Washington State Patrol Chaplain S. Vogleman notified the next of kin.  Olds was operating his bicycle on the shoulder of the road when he was hit and killed by Paul, say police.

Stephan Alexander Goodwin, 30, of Spokane, was a passenger in the vehicle, and neither he or the driver were injured.

Paul is being charged with DUI and vehicular homicide, reports police.

JUDGE MICHAEL PRICE LOWERS MILLION DOLLAR BOND TO $150,000 FOR DUI KILLER

FROM KXLY
Airway Heights is trying to make Highway 2 safer for both pedestrians and cyclists with better overhead lighting and well-marked crosswalks; however, because of the growth in the area including the casino, drivers can still encounter cyclists and pedestrians.

To make matters even worse, Paul was allegedly impaired when she tried to negotiate the highway in the middle of the night in the middle of a snowstorm.

Little did Paul know, Olds was trying to do the same thing, pedaling along the shoulder without any lights or reflectors on his bike.

The collision smashed out Paul’s windshield and killed Olds instantly

“Subsequent investigation by troopers on scene, that person was believed to be impaired and was booked into the Spokane County Jail for vehicular homicide,” said WSP Trooper Jeff Sevigney.

As they investigated the crash scene, troopers found someone had ditched baggies of meth and cocaine in front of Paul’s car. So, troopers backed up their dash cam video and found passenger Stephan Goodwin had been standing by the front bumper.

Goodwin was cut by glass from the broken windshield. When troopers saw Goodwin’s blood on the baggies, he went to jail as well on a drug charge.

“Our mission is to gather all the facts so we can paint a clear and accurate picture, to the best of our ability, [of what] occurred that night,” said Trooper Sevigney.

Paul blew 0.6 on a portable breathalyzer, and because of the possibility she was also impaired by meth or coke, prosecutors asked for a $1,000,000 bond.

Her attorney said right now there is not evidence Paul was illegally impaired, and because Paul has no criminal history, deserved little or no bond.

Judge Michael Price thought $1,000,000 was too much for the the circumstances, given that Paul has no criminal history; however, Price also took the unusual precaution of telling her, whether she has a license or not, she is not allowed to drive again without the court’s permission. Paul’s bond was set at $150,000.  MORE