WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Charge filed against suspected drunk driver who hit townhouse

(Seattle Police photo, early Thursday)

We just checked on the status of the 28-year-old woman jailed for suspected drunk driving after hitting a townhouse on the east end of SW Roxbury early Thursday morning. The City Attorney’s Office charged 28-year-old Crystal Romo-Rivasof Renton today with DUI, and she’s still at the King County Jail, in lieu of $2,500 bail. The case was spotlighted on SPD Blotter; we’ve also read the police report via the Seattle Municipal Court files. Romo-Rivas went off the road and crashed her 2006 Honda Element – of which she’s the registered owner – in the 200 block of SW Roxbury around 12:15 am Thursday. No one was hurt. But she claimed to officers that she wasn’t driving, that the real driver was a man she’d met at a bar, though she didn’t know his name, nor the name of the bar. Officers say she also gave conflicting responses to other questions about where she’d been and where she was going, and that she was displaying various signs of intoxication, but wouldn’t cooperate with the field sobriety test, so an officer certified as a phlebotomist took a blood draw at the Southwest Precinct after they obtained a warrant to do that. Police say various evidence indicated she had indeed been driving, including a witness who saw her get out of the driver’s seat after the crash, alone. Whenever Romo-Rivas gets out of jail, Judge Andrea Chin ordered an ignition interlock device be installed on any vehicles she might drive, and that she only drive in connection with work.

24 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Charge filed against suspected drunk driver who hit townhouse"

  • Lisab February 14, 2025 (2:46 pm)

    I despise drunk drivers!

  • Beto February 14, 2025 (4:33 pm)

    I’m glad she got caught. She deserves a very harsh punishment. 

  • Admiral-2009 February 14, 2025 (5:04 pm)

    Lisab – me too.  This motorist needs to required pay for all the damages they caused.  And in addition to the ignition interlock it’s time to make convicted drunk/under the influence motorist buy a minimum $1,000,000 insurance before they can drive again!

  • Bbron February 14, 2025 (5:45 pm)

    “… and that she only drive in connection with work.” another reason we need to desperately shift from car centric infrastructure to transit. 1) this wouldn’t have even been an issue if there was adequate transit to serve bar goers and 2) because of car dependency we have to carve out exceptions for people to continue to live/work when people grossly violate the public safety cause in a lot of cases restricting car use would ruin people’s livelihoods. we can only ensure public safety with public transit.

    • K February 14, 2025 (6:10 pm)

      Well said. 

      • R February 14, 2025 (6:29 pm)

        Adequate transit for bar goers??? I’m not pay taxes so people can mindlessly drink and get safe rides home. How about those people simply don’t drink to the point of intoxication? Stop passing your adult responsibilities onto other people. 

        • Sixbuck February 14, 2025 (7:58 pm)

          More well said. 

        • Bbron February 15, 2025 (12:02 am)

          Yeah, how dare consenting adults participate in libations past the point of a slight buzz (when it becomes unsafe to drive) and are able to get back home alive and unharmed. Who do they think they are patronizing businesses, stimulating local commerce, and bonding with their loved ones over a human experience as old as civilization itself? All while using MY taxes dollars! … Well, they also probably pay taxes, too… but it’s also MY tax dollars!!

        • SJ February 15, 2025 (7:54 am)

          It’s not so they can get home safe, they’re going to get home one way or another. It’s so that you and I can get home safe because someone else didn’t drive. Just telling people not to drink does not work, so even if you don’t like it there will always be inebriated people. I just hope they aren’t in a position to kill me.

        • Dilution February 15, 2025 (9:22 am)

          Taxpayers already subsidize car infrastructure 

        • MacJ February 15, 2025 (3:29 pm)

          You’re already paying taxes for police officers to deal with drunk driving reactively, typically after the damage has been done. Prohibition doesn’t work. Better transit at night time would also help the people working at bars and other late night jobs.

    • CarDriver February 14, 2025 (6:40 pm)

       Bbron. Pie in the sky. Tell us how you’re going to go about buying busses; hiring people that want to drive for or be a mechanic for a 24/7/365 full countywide bus system. Give us the real world price and real world likelihood that Metro would even consider doing that.

    • Huh February 15, 2025 (5:06 am)

      Adequate transportation??? City bus, uber, call a friend, etc. OR simply, she has an alcohol problem. 

    • Byron James February 15, 2025 (7:33 pm)

      Bus service to every bar in town?

  • WSTransitEnjoyer February 14, 2025 (6:25 pm)

    What’s the latest on the light rail? 

  • TJ February 14, 2025 (7:29 pm)

    That’s a tough curve on a dry sunny day. Add darkness, rain, and a few cocktails and away we go.  

    • P February 14, 2025 (9:12 pm)

      I was just thinking the same with that turn! You could easily lose control and flip with those cocktails creeping up towards the end of the night. Wish people knew what their cutoff is or better yet catch a Lyft…

  • Alki resident February 14, 2025 (9:21 pm)

    What a selfish person. There are many ways to get around when you’re intoxicated. 

    • Vote Smarter February 15, 2025 (12:40 am)

      Being intoxicated itself is a selfish act, especially in public where they are a hazard to everyone around them.

      • Alki resident February 15, 2025 (8:36 pm)

        Choosing to get into your car and drive while intoxicated is 100% selfish. 

  • SoLongDelridge February 15, 2025 (12:08 am)

    I guess people should start putting up barricades in front of their homes. Based on the comments and the actions of the city, no other sensible solution is available.

  • Blbl February 15, 2025 (1:39 am)

    Wow. Quite the different response than the “He’s such a great guy” and “Mr. Garcia-Morales is a great principal and human” from another recent DUI (who still has yet to be charged?). 

  • DRW February 15, 2025 (10:02 am)

    It took SDOT forever to finish that cement barrier. Take a look next time you head east on Roxbury. The barriers length is too short. The apex of the turn is way before the barrier. Ive been waiting for a car to be launched of the angled portion of the barrier. Luckily not this time.  Stay tuned!

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