West Seattle woman charged with drunkenly hitting pedestrians

This afternoon, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed four charges of vehicular assault against 43-year-old Juanita Wright, an Admiral resident who also uses the surnames Mars and Carpenter, in connection with a crash outside Showbox SODO last Thursday night. Prosecutors allege Wright had a blood-alcohol level of .29 as measured two hours after the crash – more than three times the legal-drunkenness level – and hit seven people who were crossing 1st Avenue South after a concert at the venue. Four of them were seriously hurt, with multiple broken bones, including a 28-year-old woman with a head injury that required removal of part of her skull. Wright’s car is described in court documents as having been full of empty or partly empty 24-ounce cans of 8.2% beer at the time of the crash. has been in jail since early last Friday morning, with bail set at a quarter-million dollars, and is scheduled for arraignment on November 15th. According to the charging documents, her record includes an unresolved drunk-driving charge from Pierce County 20 years ago, and more recent violations including speeding and driving without a license.

marty November 2, 2010 (5:21 pm)

Unresolved DUI from 20 years ago? How does a DUI remain unresolved for 20 years?

WSB November 2, 2010 (5:24 pm)

Failure to appear, according to the summary. The aliases seem to potentially have had something to do with that (if you’re arrested under one identity, the warrant for another might not come up) …

CB November 2, 2010 (5:26 pm)

What’s sad is she will serve only a couple years in state prison, while her victims will have a lifetime of pain.

Mookie November 2, 2010 (5:45 pm)

.29 as measured two hours after the crash. Sickening.

TCR November 2, 2010 (5:49 pm)

I was actually witness to this horrific event. It is so sad that the actions of one person will have a lasting effect on the victims, the families and friends of the victims and those of us who witnessed this traumatic scene.

Sizzler! November 2, 2010 (5:50 pm)

Craziness. It doesn’t matter how we enforce the laws or how strict the punishment levied against an offender. There will always be irresponsible folks that just DO NOT care, period. There is NO treatment of stupidity, no cure for ignorance. Is there? Certainly not surrounding them with more of the same for years. I don’t want to pay for her incarceration or treatment, I want her to work for free (maybe 3000 hours of mandatory public works) to payback those she has harmed.

Alki Resident November 2, 2010 (6:20 pm)

How many warnings about what drunk driving can do?Im disgusted as to what I read of how much the victims suffered.Including taking a good portion of someones skull just to save them.And the rest with broken legs and arms.Do you have no shame Ms.Wright?

ad November 2, 2010 (6:33 pm)

TCR- I was there too. Horrific. Just had walked out of the Showbox after a wonderful Ingrid Michaelson show and into a nightmare.
Thanks, WSB for the update. I have been thinking about the all injured people, especially that 28year old girl. Wright’s truck had beer cans that spilled out onto the road during the incident…
SO DISGUSTING. I wish Wright could receive a very long sentence.

LyndaB November 2, 2010 (10:22 pm)

I was at the Showbox, too, that night and didn’t realized what had happened until I stepped out and saw all of the aid cars. Horrible images have run through my mind about this incident and thereafter. I keep thinking about those injured. I am deeply bothered and disturbed by it all. Not to mention it could have easily been any of us. I hope there is some way we can help.

I agree with Sizzler. There seems to be no cure for irresponsible individuals such as this driver. Dare I say, hang them upside down in the desert and let the vultures peck at them. TR, is that bad? Thanks for the report. Hug your loved ones!

ad November 3, 2010 (10:35 am)

LyndaB- I wonder how we could help? I’m afraid this story will just disapear out of the headlines and be forgotten. I want to make sure justice is served and also know if any of the victims need help, donations, or something. I’d really like to help but don’t know how!

pj November 16, 2010 (11:30 pm)

I am the brother of the 28yr old victim who had brain surgery and was in critical condition. We would like to stay in touch with anyone who was there to witness what happened that night in case we need additional information. For now, you can go to ‘Support Jane’ on Facebook to stay in touch and help with kind words and prayers, we may set up a donations account at a later date. Thank you.

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