OLYMPIA, Wash. – Police will be able to impound vehicles of suspected drunk drivers for a minimum of 12 hours after the driver is cited, thanks to a bill passed by the legislature Thursday.
Senate Bill 5000, also known as Hailey's Law, now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire for her signature.
The bill is named for Hailey Huntley, who was severely injured after her car was hit head-on by a drunk driver. Janine Parker, the arrested driver, had already been stopped once that night for DUI. A trooper had taken her home, where Parker had called a cab to take her back to her car. It was after she got behind the wheel again that she crashed into Huntley.
Huntley suffered a broken pelvis, leg and knee, a crushed foot and collapsed lungs. She's had to undergo 15 surgeries in four years.
The law says the vehicle of a driver cited for DUI cannot get that vehicle out of impound for at least 12 hours. If there is another registered owner of the vehicle, then that person could come get it out of impound before the 12-hour deadline.
Some opponents argued a state law requiring impounds is unnecessary and that the cost to drivers is excessive. A mandatory impound is estimated to cost around $200.
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