A Snohomish County Superior Court judge sentenced Raul Benitez-Santana to 125 months in prison on Wednesday for the March 2024 crash that killed Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd. The term covers convictions for vehicular homicide and vehicular assault and will run concurrently, leaving the 34-year-old facing just over 10 years behind bars. Benitez-Santana was traveling at more than 100 miles per hour on Interstate 5 near Marysville when his SUV slammed into the rear of Gadd’s parked patrol vehicle, according to investigators. Prosecutors said he had consumed beer and smoked marijuana before driving, and a Snohomish County jury found him guilty on 4 June after roughly four hours of deliberation. Gadd, 27, died at the scene; he is survived by his wife and young daughter. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste said the sentence removes a dangerous driver from the roads and offers "a modicum of relief" to the trooper’s family and colleagues.
Raul Benitez-Santana will spend more than 10 years behind bars for killing Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper Christopher Gadd in a DUI crash in March 2024. More here: https://t.co/3ua10eKB3V https://t.co/WaZEWHMfjE
Raul Benitez-Santana was sentenced to over 10 years for the DUI crash that killed Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd in March 2024. https://t.co/LZientFyAs
Man sentenced for death of Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd https://t.co/vTfyCN3xlb