Washington teen driving Audi A4 at 112 mph kills 4, his third totaled car within 11 months...talk of charging parents

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13241703/chase-jones-charged-homicide-car-wreck.html

Jones' 2015 Audi A4 had been purchased just a month before the collision






------------

His prior accidents. parents get there before the cops. Cops let him off


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/chase-daniel-jones-18-year-old-faces-vehicular-homicide-charges-for-high-speed-crash-that-left-woman-and-three-children-dead/ar-BB1kuz1K


112 mph on a road with a posted speed limit of 40 mph
Jones crashing into the minivan claimed the lives of Andrea, Boyd Buster Brown, 12, and sisters Matilda and Eloise Wilcoxson, aged 13 and 12 respectively. The severity of the crash pushed the minivan into two other vehicles, compounding the tragedy.

Andrea's two children, Nolan Hudson and Charlotte Hudson, were critically injured in the incident and are currently at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Details emerging from the scene reveal a harrowing account of recklessness, as the teen reportedly disregarded a red light at an intersection in the Fairwood community, according to a police report obtained by the Seattle Times.

Authorities allege that Jones was traveling at 112 mph without any indication of braking on a road with a posted speed limit of 40 mph.

Chase Daniel Jones charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault

Jones, who sustained severe injuries in the collision, had acquired the Audi in February, following two previous accidents caused by speeding, according to King County prosecutors cited by mynorthwest.com.

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/new-video-shows-renton-crash-suspect-involved-previous-crash-kent/281-8190a455-76e7-47f2-bb24-82ccaf84de30

'Dude was hauling': Driver warned to slow down months before deadly 112 mph Renton crash

Court documents say Chase Daniel Jones, 18, of Kent, has been involved in three major crashes in the last year.

The first crash happened in May 2023 on Southeast 204th Street in Kent. Body camera video from the incident obtained by KOMO News shows Jones admitted to a police officer that he was speeding at the time of the crash.

"I saw an open road. I was definitely going above the speed limit of 25," Jones said.

The KPD officer talked to Jones and his parents before leaving the scene and issued a warning.

“It’s a mistake, mistakes happen. Lessons need to be learned, as long as you learn it," the officer told Jones in May 2023.

Court records show Jones' next crash happened in January.

"Jones totaled another vehicle, the other driver complained that he had not seen (Jones) due to (Jones') speed," prosecutors wrote in charging documents. "In both of these crashes, (Jones') parents were at the crash prior to the police."

https://komonews.com/news/local/renton-crash-man-charged-chase-daniel-jones-warned-slow-down-3-crashes-11-months-kent-body-cam-video-victims-andrea-smith-hudson-matilda-wilcoxson-eloise-wilcoxson-boyd-buster-brown-vehicular-homicide-assault-reckless-driving

[Aussie105]

1. 18 year old, third write off.

Where does he find the money to do that?

Parents are enablers, obviously.

[3Hotdogs]

20. affluenza.

[aggiesal]

25. I was going to write that he has a severe case of Affluenza. b/t

[jimfields33]

24. Parents should not be responsible for an 18 year old adult.

If I were on the parent’s jury, I’d vote no. We cannot begin holding parents responsible for adult children. That will open up a huge can of worms.

[ShazzieB]

30. If he was still underage when they bought him the third (!) car, would you feel any differently?

Just curious...I'm not sure what I think myself. It says the car was only purchased a month ago but it doesn't mention when he turned 18.

The parents sound like serial enablers. Reading between the lines, I'll bet they helped smooth things over with the cops the first 2 times, and they kept on buying him cars after he crashed them. He sounds like an entitled brat, and they seem to have catered to him. That makes me not like them OR their son very much!

The teen had been driving erratically, speeding and 'weaving around other traffic.' Data from his car showed he was traveling 112 mph when he ran a red light at the intersection 'at full throttle without braking.'

Ugh, what an ass!

[Gore1FL]

81. I would argue if he shouldn't drive, the state should have said so.

There is an argument to be made regarding the parental wisdom, but I don't see it as a retroactive legal argument.

[ShazzieB]

86. Interesting!

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm still on the fence but what you say makes sense.

[Bucky]

41. They handed a gun to a sociopath

I mean the gun was car-shaped, but he used it as a weapon to kill.

I would be okay with the state locking up every damn member of his family.

[Lurker Deluxe]

72. Every member?

The whole family? locked up?

I have no idea, but what if he has a six year old sister? Life without parole for her?

Uncles, cousins ... his grandparents still alive? Lock 'em up.

FFS.

This is certainly not the first instance of parents making bad decisions concerning a barely adult child. If we are not locking up parents who allow children access to firearms, we surely will not lock up a parent for buying, and insuring, a car for a child.

The issue is the police. If serious tickets were issued when they should have been the insurance for the vehicle would have been astronomical and he would not have been driving ... or if so, illegally.

I totaled my first one, dad told me, "we bought your first one ... your on your own." Crashed the second on as well. Did not care for the bus ... life lesson learned.

[Attilatheblond]

75. When my big brother got ready to let me drive his car after I got my learner's permit,

he held the keys above my eager hands and said "Pumpkin, this is a nearly two ton LOADED GUN. Be damned careful where you point it". He had a 1965 Grand Prix, and had made sure I could handle changing a tire; he had several jacks in the boot, and made me change ALL four wheels/tires before I got to sit in that driver's seat. Best big brother EVER!

[Rebl2]

85. Agree

[Lonestarblue]

55. No doubt it was the parents who bought him these cars and continued to enable his reckless driving.

How is their action that resulted in death any different than those of parents who buy a gun that the teen uses to kill? I might agree with you if this had been his first reckless speeding, but this is the third and the parents kept buying him cars. Responsible parents could have denied access to cars rather than giving him more.

[yardwork]

59. I don't know.

What if we look at it like this: a pair of adults are enabling another adult to break the law, over and over. Aren't they aiding and abetting his lawbreaking?

Pretend they're not related.

[jimfields33]

65. I think he goes to jail and the family sues him.

If the parents names are on the car or insurance then sue them. But hopefully they weren’t that stupid.

[yardwork]

66. I think that's the right approach.

[XorXor]

71. Maybe not legally, but there is some moral responsibility or something.

I suppose there could be more to the story that makes them more sympathetic characters, but from what I seen in the past, that is often not the case.

[Marthe48]

82. How about co-conspirators?

There are family members who will never stop mourning their losses. I know that from dreadful personal experience. If the injured children survive, they will probably live with physical ailments and nightmares, maybe their whole lives.

If the parents had anything to do with buying car #2 and car #3, and did nothing to stop his out of control behavior, even if they are not brought to a court of law, they are as guilty as if they were riding with him and urging him to go faster.

[jimfields33]

83. Bad parents. Not criminals.

The adult needs to be held responsible for his actions and he will be.

[Trueblue1968]

45. Murder by auto. Jail him for rest of his life, no parole. Parents get 25 years.

[Sky Jewels]

2. This monster SHOULD spend the rest of his life in prison

if there is any justice left in this country…

Same goes for his entitled asshole parents.

[Aristus]

68. He'd better hope he's a good swimmer.

Remember when some cockamamie judge gave a rapist a reduced sentence because he was on the college swim team? And didn't want his "life to be ruined?" Never mind that the cataclysmically awful homunculus ruined the life of his victim. The two young men who rescued the rape victim were so revolted by the crime, they had to go into therapy.

Rich assholes, am I right?

[Sky Jewels]

69. Argh! I remember that POS.

He went to Stanford and his name was “Brock.” Ugh.

[Attilatheblond]

76. There have been some 'talented' talented high school football players here and there who got off easy

after rape convictions, because various judges didn't think it fair to ruin their chances for 'promising college and professional careers.'

It's like the victims were just bit players in the lives of these violent criminals' life stories. If anything like that happened to my daughter, I'd be in jail and the perps in the morgue.

[dalton99a]

3. POS is a mass murderer and should be treated as such.

Last edited Sat Mar 30, 2024, 10:43 AM - Edit history (2)

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

4. parents and easy going cop contributed.

[SergeStorms]

36. Twice.

The third time is not the charm. A driver that young with a history speeding should have had his license revoked.

The parents and police sure didn't do the world any favors by babying the poor little guy.

I hope he's charged and convicted of vehicular homicide this time. He certainly deserves it.

[central scrutinizer]

70. I doubt a revoked license would have helped

“Shit, I’ve got a revoked license, I can’t let that cop catch me.” Vroooooom!

[Stuart G]

5. Jones knew what he was doing, he did it on purpose.. Punishment: "Prison, Rest of His Life."

Last edited Sat Mar 30, 2024, 12:31 AM - Edit history (2)

[Sympthsical]

6. How does one charge an adult's parents?

Trying to wrap my head around what the legal argument is for adults being legally responsible for an adult child.

Unless something they did was illegal in some way, I don't know how one gets from A to B.

[Lochloosa]

9. Buying the murder weapon?

[Sympthsical]

13. How does this legally work with a car?

Is anyone who buys another person a car on the hook for what that person does with it? How will that start to work?

I get being furious with the parents. Granted. But this isn't like Ethan Crumbly who was underage and whose parents were responsible for and grossly negligent towards his care.

In this case, you have an adult offender.

And if this is a road we're going down, what other parents can we start hauling into court? Because I can think of a lot of instances where bad parenting leads to bad things, and some of them I don't think people would be super fond about.

[Lochloosa]

17. Yeah, its a slippery slope for sure.

It will take some creative legal work to make it stick.

[Sympthsical]

34. Yeah, I'm just curious

About the legal path towards the idea of it. Of course I think the parents aren't great. That's a given. But as soon as I saw the idea offered, my brain started working through a dozen other scenarios where you could start making arguments.

I think something like Ethan Crumbly was almost singular. The circumstances were so glaring, the parents so negligent, and they actively created a likely scenario by getting the gun. It was a potent mixture.

[ProfessorGAC]

53. Same Page

Trickier yet, is that his parents could have given him, a legal adult, money that he used to buy a car. I'd guess technically that would mean THEY didn't buy the car for him.
I know that's semantic dancing, but might be a legally important distinction.
As tragic, and avoidable, as this was I'm not seeing how the parents will be held legally responsible for an adult child.
I'm even willing to grant that he was a spoiled brat & the parents are responsible for that. But legally? Seems dubious.

[Lancero]

18. Loan, Title, or Insurance. Three potential avenues for the parents to have culpability here.

Were they the primary signatories on the loan? Were they the official owners of the vehicle? Were they the primary owners of the insurance policy?

[Sympthsical]

31. Do you think this is a good idea?

Because there aren't age restrictions on auto insurance. If I let a friend borrow my car, and he kills someone, am I responsible for those deaths? Where in the process should I have known better? And where in that process, will the legal line be drawn?

Strong emotional reactions frequently make for bad law, and I think this idea is a case study.

[Lancero]

37. Given that this is the third time this person has done such, I'd say that the line is drawn after the second time.

Once is a accident, twice is a pattern.

To note though, this doesn't mean criminal liability - Though it should certainly be considered. I'm also talking about liabilities in any civil suits.

[Sympthsical]

39. I'm much more understanding about a civil suit

That I do get, and I'm sure some lawyers are on their way as we speak, both towards the parents and law enforcement.

One aspect about that I'd be curious to know is if the insurance company will also go for the parents. Because you imagine the insurance is on the hook for this somewhere, and if there's an opening to say the parents are culpable, they'd leap at that opening.

[Bucky]

42. Yes, obviously in the real world his parents only have civil liability

And I hope the victims' families take them for every penny they've got.

[Zeitghost]

77. Civil liability for what?

He was a licensed driver. Providing him with a car when the state has declared him a legal driver does not meet the threshold for negligence.

[Bucky]

79. I think that's what lawyers are for

Trust me, there will be litigation

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

16. it was just mentioned on a newsite, might not happen

[yardwork]

61. Take away the familial relationship.

Is it aiding and abetting for a pair of adults to keep enabling another adult to repeatedly break the law. Apparently they kept giving him cars.

I don't know, but it's interesting to remove the parent-child angle and look at it as if they weren't related.

[Attilatheblond]

78. Any bets about the lawyer for the 18 year old 'adult' being paid for by his parents

and that lawyer pleading for a lenient sentence because 'an 18 year old doesn't really belong in a real prison with real violent offenders'?

Kinda funny, how in the US, violent young (white) males are adult and not adult at the same time. (Schrodinger's perp?) But dead victims are dead either way.

[JanMichael]

63. Have adult bartenders been charged for giving other adults too much booze?

Or have adults that sold or gave other adults something that was misused ever charged? Especially if the giver adult knew about the other adults ability to misuse?

I would ignore the parental relationship here.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

87. Discussion here: Deadly Renton crash: Can parents be held responsible?

Discussion here: Deadly Renton crash: Can parents be held responsible?

[Silent3]

7. I sure hope we don't have to deal with another wretched "affluenza" defense

Is it too cruel to say that I hope his "severe injuries" give him a life sentence of sorts, no matter what the courts do?

[getagrip_already]

8. Sounds like the parents have some serious grease in that town

118 in a 40 is felony endangerment in most places. Enough for manslaughter, even if drugs or alcohol weren't present (was he tested?).

He should absolutely do time. There should be state charges here. Get it out of that county.

[montanacowboy]

10. Entitled Fucking Prick

are they going to slap him on the wrist again? This could have been avoided if the cops had done their job instead of giving the entitled dirtbag a pass, not only once but twice. All those lives lost for a worthless POS. I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison and the cops who did nothing deserve dismissal.

[Captain Zero]

21. reckless endangerment, vehicular homicide, manslaughter plus speed violations

If he got the max for all those and no parole, he would be off the road quite a while.

[Sanity Claws]

11. Who could afford three totals in one year?

Not only the cost of the cars but the increased insurance premiums. His parents must have kept getting him replacement cars and paying the insurance, is my guess.
They were enabling him, knowing that he was reckless.

[oasis]

12. Jail all three.

reckless disregard.

[All Mixed Up]

14. Give him 50 years for every life he took.

[LonePirate]

15. Does the family have money? That may determine whether or not he and the parents face charges.

[ShazzieB]

35. They MUST have money!

It says this was his third totaled car in 11 months, and the car he was driving this time was described as a "luxury" model. So his parents weren't just buying him one old beater after another.

These people are loaded, unless I miss my guess.

[WarGamer]

19. For those who are curious... that's a $10-12k car.

With 220hp... 20 more than my Camry.

But anyways... throw the degenerate in jail...

[TexasTowelie]

22. Where are you finding that list price?

A quick search shows that the car lists for about $4`,000.

[WarGamer]

23. it's a 2015

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

58. Its not new

It's close to a decade old. A lot of the German luxury models values crash hard once they are out of warranty due to repair costs.

[Lurker Deluxe]

73. 6K ...

Lowest I can quickly see:

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/694132932?allListingType=all-cars&city=Houston&endYear=2016&makeCode=AUDI&modelCode=A4&newSearch=false&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fall-cars%2Faudi%2Fa4%2Fhouston-tx%3FendYear%3D2016%26newSearch%3Dfalse%26searchRadius%3D0%26sortBy%3DderivedpriceASC%26startYear%3D2014%26zip%3D77001&searchRadius=0&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&startYear=2014&state=TX&zip=77001&clickType=listing

Go up from there. Maybe 12k, not unreasonable to say.

[chouchou]

26. I'd tell what I would do to that young man but the Mods would ban me 7000 years after my death.

That young man destroyed 100's of loves and joys...

[ms liberty]

27. Third time's the charm. His prize this time will probably be jail. And yea, lick up the parents, too.

[LudwigPastorius]

28. Should have never happened because he should have been charged with reckless driving and had his license yanked...

after the second crash.

That shithead destroyed lives because he wanted to play "Fast & Furious" behind the wheel.

He needs 25 years for each victim...served consecutively.

[Jeebo]

29. He should do serious time ...

... and when he gets out, his driver's license should be PERMANENTLY revoked and he should NEVER be allowed to drive again. What's more, while he's in the big house, he should be required to have pictures of his victims on the walls of his cell, positioned where he will have to look at them every day of the time he serves.

-- Ron

[flvegan]

32. I like that even while admitting to speeding in a prior crash, the police didn't charge him. Even though it seems

he was admittedly at fault.

[Mountainguy]

33. If the parents can be charged...

then the state of Washington should be as well. They are the ones who allowed him to maintain his license.

He's 18, he's responsible for what he does, nobody else.

[Zeitghost]

44. That was my thought as well

He had a valid license to drive. Making it more or less impossible to make a criminal or civil case for negligence against anyone providing him a car.

[Beast From Venus]

38. Why no picture of him?

He's the perp and he's a legal adult.

[Sympthsical]

40. There is

There's also body cam footage of him from one of the previous accidents at the King5 link.

[Kaleva]

43. Where in the article does it say the parents may be charged?

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

49. doesnt sat in the articles I linked. did in some other sources I saw

[Kaleva]

64. Ok. All the other articles I read didn't mention that either

I must have looked at about a dozen articles.

[DFW]

46. Letting this guy out while his hands and feet still function is wrong

It’s obvious his mind does not. Put him away. Permanently. It’s clear he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else’s life, and never will.

[Bucky]

47. At this point I feel like all cars should have breathalyzers

If it was a standard feature, it wouldn't be discriminatory. It would be indiscriminatory.

"Blow before you go"

[vanlassie]

52. Was he drunk?

[sl8]

48. Where are you seeing talk of charging the parents? nt

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

50. saw it mentioned in other sources...just speculation.

[sl8]

54. Ah. Other sources also speculate that the Earth is flat and Trump won the last election.

Seems like an odd thing to include in the title.

[Bucky]

60. It's a discussion thread, not a book report

And it got your attention. So it worked

[yardwork]

62. I'm stealing that line!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

88. Discussion here: Deadly Renton crash: Can parents be held responsible? ..they meant Insurance/civilly only

Discussion here: Deadly Renton crash: Can parents be held responsible?

[sl8]

89. Thank you. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

51. More Affluenza

10 years ago, 'affluenza' teen Ethan Couch killed four and injured several others in drunk-driving crash

Couch's attorneys argued that the teen suffered from "affluenza" and that Judge Jean Boyd should consider a lenient sentence.

"Affluenza" is a psychological illness affecting people by their privileged or wealthy upbringing.

In Couch's case, attorneys argued that he lacked a moral compass or didn't know right from wrong due to his family's wealth.


https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/ethan-couch-affluenza-10-years-since-deadly-drunk-driving-crash/287-a8ea72a1-592e-49dd-a097-fd1bb80e237e

[Oneironaut]

56. This poor young man is clearly suffering from affluenza.

He should be let go immediately, with apologies by the police to him and his family for arresting him in such a severe state of affluenza.

Don’t worry, son. Daddy will make this all go away. They were mere peasants, and their lives matter less than ours in this wonderful Capitalist society! /s

[Attilatheblond]

80. Kinda reminds me of the history of a certain Congressman from Florida actually.

There, there little feller, daddy will fix it for you, over and over and over again.

[localroger]

57. "I saw an open road..."

This quote from the body cam footage after his second crash is very telling. This is a person with no impulse control. He has probably never been denied anything he seriously wanted in his life. P and M have probably been there, just as they swooped in before the cops to start patching things up after crashes #1 and #2, whenever he has encountered trouble. Hey, the road is open, why should I crawl along at twenty miles an hour just because of a bunch of picky laws and silly bullshit like that? I am sure this will reveal an entire masterclass in bad parenting. Unfortunately, it would be an even bigger disaster to try to hold the parents liable for the actions of a legal adult -- that is a place you do not want our society to go -- but junior needs to find out that there are worse things in life than just going twenty miles an hour because of some annoying sign.

[republianmushroom]

67. Remember we all live under the same laws ?

[sir pball]

74. LWOP for the kid, 25-ta for the parents.

This is some of the most egregious affluenza I've ever seen; it's the perfect case to levy a seriously draconian punishment as a warning to Not Do This.

If you don't know legal slang. "LWOP" = Life WithOut Parole" and "25-ta" means "25 years to life", you get your first parole hearing at 25 years.

Fuck you if you think that's excessive. Everyone involved deserves far worse.

[Aussie105]

84. Most likely:

Kid gets a jail sentence.
Parents end up in civil court and pay a lot of money.
Parents will visit junior often and complain how much he cost them.
Kid complains about being treated like this, and why haven't the parents 'fixed' things?
Parents will visit less often.