News Release No. 2004-1
January 23, 2004
Driver Pleads Guilty after Death of Bicyclist
On Tuesday, January 20, 2003, Giovanna Drew, 21, pleaded "guilty" to charges of vehicular homicide and felony hit and run stemming from the death of Ryan LoBue, age 18.
On September 12, 2003, LoBue was riding his bicycle near his home on Bailer Hill Road when he was struck from behind by a car driven by Drew.
At the recommendation of Deputy Prosecutor Charles Z. Silverman, Judge Vickie I. Churchill accepted the guilty plea to the hit and run charged, and received, but postponed accepting the guilty plea in the vehicular homicide charge. Judge Churchill has set the date of Thursday, March 18, 2003 for accepting the plea of the vehicular homicide charge and the sentencing on both charges.
"The prosecutor intends to ask Judge Churchill to impose sentence in the middle of the standard range in both cases," said Prosecutor Randall K. Gaylord. A standard range for hit and run is 31 to 40 months, and the standard range for the vehicular homicide is 26 to 34 months. The timing of accepting the plea in the hit and run and the vehicular homicide cases in sequential order will allow Drew to argue for a first-time offender sentence to the felony hit and run case.
"I wish to commend the good work and cooperation of the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation of this incident," said Gaylord.
"My thoughts and heartfelt wishes are with Ryan’s mother and family. This has been a tragic loss for several people in our small community," Gaylord added.
Randall K. Gaylord
San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney
350 Court Street, 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 760
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(360)378-4101