Gates gets 4.5 years in prison

A Colville man who confessed to driving drunk and causing the crash that killed a 21-year-old Orcas Island woman and left two men severely injured was sentenced to four-and-a-half years behind bars.

Deane Gates, 28, was sentenced to 54 months in prison on one count of vehicular homicide, a criminal indictment that followed in the wake of the fatal collision that claimed Christa Harvey's life. He was also ordered to serve concurrent 15 month prison terms on two counts of vehicular assault and pay $1,540 in fines and fees.

Gates will also be ordered to pay restitution to Harvey's family and two passengers who also were in his car at the time of the fatal collision, David Flynn and Jesse Valikanje. Gates, Flynn and Valikanje were severely injured and air-lifted to Harborview Medical for treatment following the April 4 collision. The amount of restitution will be determined June 13.

Gates changed his plea during the second day of his trial and confessed to the series of felony charges filed against him. He admitted he was intoxicated and driving recklessly when he lost control of his car shortly before 2 a.m. near the intersection of Mount Baker and Terrill Beach roads. His car was traveling close to 70 m.p.h moments before his ill-fated attempt to turn onto Terrill Beach Road.

Gates was taken into custody March 14 immediately after the sentence was handed down in Superior Court. Judge Vicki Churchill, noting the fatal collisions involving drunk drivers on local roads, added three months to the sentence prosecutors had recommended. The standard range of sentencing for vehicular homicide, a Class A felony, is 51-68 months in prison.

The maximum is life behind bars, a $50,000 fine, or both.

At the time of the collision, Gates, Harvey, Flynn and Velikanje all

worked in the restaurant at Rosario Resort. They left an Eastsound bar for an after-hours party. Gates' blood-alcohol content was four points above the legal limit -- .12 -- at the time of the collision, according to court documents. He had never before been convicted of a felony.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.