Teen avoids more jail time in drunken driving crash that left pedestrian with several broken bones

An 18-year-old woman, who seriously injured a pedestrian while driving drunk before fleeing the scene last year north of downtown Spokane, was sentenced to three days in jail Friday, which she’s already served.

Sahrinity Pogue pleaded guilty to vehicular assault, hit-and-run injury, both felonies, and DUI, a gross misdemeanor, as part of a plea agreement. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Harold Clarke III imposed the sentence recommended by the prosecution and defense.

“Hopefully, that will be enough to learn from the experience she’s had,” deputy prosecutor Anastasiya Krotoff said of the three days Pogue served.

According to a probable cause affidavit, a witness riding a Lime scooter told police he saw Pogue driving south on Monroe Street near Boone Avenue in the early morning hours of May 7. He said a pedestrian was crossing Monroe and Pogue tried to swerve but she struck the pedestrian and continued south without stopping.

Officers located the victim lying in the road with a broken leg, broken arm, broken pelvis and several lacerations, according to search warrant documents. The scooter rider told police in those documents the victim was thrown over the roof of the sedan.

Pogue called 911 about 15 minutes after the crash to report the incident, according to court documents.

An officer contacted Pogue and noticed damage to the front windshield consistent with her blue 2006 Subaru Impreza hitting a pedestrian, according to the affidavit. The officer wrote Pogue had bloodshot eyes and smelled faintly of alcohol. There were open liquor bottles and an open container of Mike’s Hard Lemonade in the back seat of the car.

Pogue told police the pedestrian was not in a crosswalk and that she heard the body hit her windshield, search warrant documents say.

She also told police, “I killed someone” and “I hit a person and I left.”

The officer arrested Pogue on suspicion of vehicular assault and hit-and-run after conducting field sobriety tests.

Pogue has no prior felonies and Clarke agreed to impose a first-time offender waiver. The sentencing alternative allows a judge to sentence a defendant with no felony convictions below the standard sentence range.

Pogue’s attorney, Michelle Hess, said Pogue was “extremely scared” when she met with her as she was staring down jail time and a strike offense. Hess said her client, who will graduate high school this spring, has been doing everything she can to get her life back on track.

“She’s been taking it very seriously,” Hess said.

Pogue declined to address the court.

Clarke cautioned Pogue to drive sober and stop to address a crash immediately after it happens.

“It gets compounded when we don’t do that,” Clarke said.

Pogue will serve one year of community custody. Her driver’s license will be suspended for a period determined by the Washington State Department of Licensing.