King County prosecutors charged a 29-year-old Renton man Sept. 10 with vehicular assault in connection with a T-bone collision Sept. 8 on Kent’s East Hill that critically injured his passenger, a 27-year-old Renton man.
Alan Edward Undem is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge 9 a.m. Sept. 21 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Undem remained in custody Sept. 13 at the county jail in Kent. Bail was set at $260,000.
Jacob Sherman, the passenger, was trapped inside the car, unconscious and critically injured with probable internal bleeding and broken bones, according to charging papers. King County medics transported the passenger to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Sherman remained in serious condition in the intensive care unit Sept. 13, said a Harborview spokeswoman.
Undem was driving a late-model Volvo sedan and reportedly under the influence of both legal and illegal drugs when he lost control of his car while driving south in the northbound lane of the 23500 block of 132nd Avenue Southeast, according to charging papers.
The Volvo, traveling about 50 mph, crossed over the double yellow lines to the opposite side of the street, struck a raised cement curb and struck a road sign before the passenger side of the Volvo collided with the front end of an oncoming Kent School District truck that was delivering meals to local schools.
The delivery-truck driver, an employee of the Kent School District, was uninjured.
Police officers found Undem outside of his car with non-life threatening injuries. Undem reportedly was disoriented and exhibited signs of intoxication.
Undem told officers he had taken the prescription drugs citalopram, Seroquel, hydroxyzine, trazodone and methamphetamine as well as marijuana, according to charging papers. He told officers he took trazodone, an antidepressant, for “intermittent explosive disorder,” which is a behavioral disorder characterized by extreme expressions of anger.
Undem has been arrested 17 times since 2002. His criminal history includes fourth-degree assault in 2008, third-degree theft, false statement and third-degree malicious mischief all in 2007, and obstruction and possession of stolen property in 2002. He also has two convictions for driving while license suspended in 2007 and numerous driving infractions.
Prosecutors wrote in court documents that Undem is a threat to community safety and had two warrants for failure to appear in court at the time of the accident.
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