RCW 46.61.520

Vehicular homicide—Penalty.

Applied in 215 court decisions — leading case 111 Wash. 2d 353 - In Re the Personal Restraint of Williams (1988)

Most recently applied in State Of Washington, V. Christopher Ellis Hamilton (March 2025)

1998 c 211 s 2; 1996 c 199 s 7; 1991 c 348 s 1; 1983 c 164 s 1; 1975 1st ex.s. c 287 s 3; 1973 2nd ex.s. c 38 s 2; 1970 ex.s. c 49 s 5; 1965 ex.s. c 155 s 63; 1961 c 12 s 46.56.040

How often courts cite this section

citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(1) When the death of any person ensues within three years as a proximate result of injury proximately caused by the driving of any vehicle by any person, the driver is guilty of vehicular homicide if the driver was operating a motor vehicle:

(a) While under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, as defined by RCW 46.61.502; or

(b) In a reckless manner; or

(2) Vehicular homicide is a class A felony punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW, except that, for a conviction under subsection (1)(a) of this section, an additional two years shall be added to the sentence for each prior offense as defined in RCW 46.61.5055.

Official source: Washington State Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Washington statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.