Seventeen minutes into Riley Danard’s 18th birthday, he and his best friend, Khalea Thoeuk, drove to Alki Beach to celebrate. The two searched for places to move into together with other friends, excited to leave their parents’ home and embark on adulthood.
They never got that chance.
As the two drove in a Honda Civic westbound on the West Seattle Bridge, a white pickup drove in the wrong direction, barreling toward them. Witnesses say the truck sped between 70-90 miles per hour in the 45-mile-per-hour zone, leading to closing speeds of over 100 miles per hour between the two vehicles. The truck and the car crashed and killed the two best friends before first responders arrived.
The man who drove the truck, later identified as Delfino Lopez-Morales was sentenced Friday to more than 12 years in prison, the maximum allowed by the law. Judge Angela Kaake handed down the verdict after a three-hour emotional hearing that centered on the pain that driving under the influence could cause.