The mother of a 14-year-old girl was passed out in the passenger seat of her Dodge Caravan when her drunken daughter hit a ditch on state Route 18 and rolled the van several times near Tiger Summit, State Patrol troopers said. The girl wasn't wearing a seat belt and was thrown out of the vehicle through the back window, causing serious head and back injuries. She was rushed to Overlake Hospital Medical Center, but later stabilized and released to another medical facility, a hospital spokeswoman said. The girl's 32-year-old mother suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon.
"I can't even wrap my brain around how you would let your 14-year-old daughter drive drunk, let alone drive with her," State Patrol Trooper Cliff Pratt said.
Pratt said the mother, who is from Auburn, faces possible charges of allowing a minor to drive, reckless endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The teenager faces possible charges of vehicle assault, driving under the influence and driving without a license.
The case is still under investigation. Neither the mother nor daughter is being named because no charges have been filed.
Court documents show it's not the first time the mother has been drunk on the road, and the girl also has had alcohol-related problems before.
Until recently, the girl and her mother lived in housing owned by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. The daughter was part of a Native American dance group in the Auburn School District, and was recognized for "great attendance" in a Native American newsletter.
Staff at the Muckleshoot Housing Authority said they are not allowed to speak about any of the members' personal lives.
School and Muckleshoot officials also declined to comment Tuesday, but an 11-year-old girl who identified herself as the driver's cousin said the 14-year-old had began skipping school more frequently in the past year.
"I see her walking around at the high school a lot," the elementary school girl said. "(She) likes to talk to the older kids."
The girl's mother pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 1999, court records show. She was required to attend a drug and alcohol assessment in 2002 and later found guilty in Tacoma Municipal Court of criminal trespass, a gross misdemeanor.
Court documents also show the woman was ordered to pay more than $2,400 to the Department of Social and Health Services after pleading guilty in 2002 to attempted theft.
Citing agency rules, DSHS spokeswoman Kathy Spears said the department could not comment Tuesday on any interaction the agency has had with the family.
The girl had been charged in December 2006 with being a minor in possession of alcohol. The charge was later dropped as part of a deferment typically given to juvenile offenders.
A witness who was driving behind the Caravan before the crash Tuesday told police the driver was wildly changing speeds and swerving in and out of lanes. When troopers arrived, they said they found marijuana on the girl, as well as beer cans strewn across the road, and are investigating whether drugs also played a role in the crash.
The mother gave conflicting statements when questioned by police, saying she was the girl's sister and then her cousin, Pratt said. "Honestly, I don't think she was trying to mislead us," Pratt said. "It was a high level of intoxication. She was just that drunk."
The accident happened about 5:20 a.m. when the mother and daughter were traveling east after leaving a house in Auburn.
Pratt said the vehicle was "almost unidentifiable" after doing several barrel rolls.
P-I reporters Tracy Johnson and Levi Pulkkinen contributed to this report. P-I reporter Casey McNerthney can be reached at 206-448-8220 or [email protected].
