Man sentenced to nearly 8 years in prison for meth-fueled fatal crash in Spokane Valley
A Spokane man will spend eight years in prison for his role in a meth-induced fatal crash in 2023.
Spokane County Superior Court Judge Raymond Clary sentenced Daniel El-Ayache to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday to vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.
“I’m super remorseful for what happened,” El-Ayache told the court during his sentencing. “I’m not taking it lightly.”
According to court records, El-Ayache, 35, was driving a 2015 Subaru Crosstrek over 100 mph in a 35 mph zone on April 4. He had two passengers in the SUV.
Police were tracking the car with a GPS monitor because they believed it was stolen. When they noticed the speed dropped significantly within seconds, they responded to the area of Broadway Avenue and Alki Way to find the Subaru had collided with a pickup.
The front-seat passenger of the Subaru was dead on arrival. He was later identified by the Spokane County Medical Examiner as 28-year-old Shae Broncho. The backseat passenger was thrown from the car with significant injuries but survived.
The driver of the truck sustained injuries, but they were not life-threatening, police said at the time. El-Ayache was also injured and spent six months in a wheelchair.
According to Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Joseph Edwards, investigators were able to test El-Ayache’s blood after the crash and discovered evidence of methamphetamine.
Edwards said in court on Wednesday that while El-Ayache never intended to kill anyone, his sentence is a result of “his decision to drive while impaired” which resulted in “drastic consequences.”
El-Ayache also received a 14-month sentence for the vehicular assault charge, which will run concurrently to his vehicular homicide sentence. He will get credit for time served, Clary said.
No one spoke on behalf of the three victims at the sentencing. El-Ayache said he was upset he let his family down, as well as his two young children.
“I’m thankful for the chance to help me get better,” he said. “I want to show my kids they still have a dad.”