A 57-year-old man was charged with vehicular homicide Thursday in connection to a New Year’s Day crash near University Place, court records show.
Todd James Pearson, who authorities say was driving a Dodge Ram and suspected of being impaired, allegedly caused the two-vehicle wreck by losing control of the truck after aggressively attempting to pass a Subaru in front of him on South Orchard Street, according to a Tacoma police report.
A not guilty plea was entered on Pearson’s behalf at his arraignment Thursday in Pierce County Superior Court. Bail was set at $100,000.
A number of relatives and friends submitted letters of support for Pearson to the court before the hearing, court records show.
The police report, attached in court records linked to the criminal charge, said that Pearson accepted fault for the crash and that a witness observed him speeding.
The report didn’t reveal specific details about how the incident occurred.
Emergency crews responded to the crash in the area of 48th Street West and South Orchard Street just after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Footage from the aftermath, captured by The News Tribune, showed that both vehicles were severely damaged and flipped on their sides in the front yard of a home.