Woman charged after injury victim abandoned

A Clinton woman is facing prison time for allegedly getting drunk, crashing her car into a tree, then leaving a seriously injured passenger behind.

Julie K. Wineman, 43, was charged with vehicular assault in Island County Superior Court Dec. 21. With a record of two prior DUI convictions, she could face up to 17 months in prison if convicted.

According to a Washington State Patrol report, Wineman met the victim at Cozy's Roadhouse in Clinton on April 5, 2000. They both had a few drinks during lunchtime and left together in Wineman's car.

According to documents filed in the case,Wineman drove her 1990 Acura at a high rate of speed through a construction zone on Deer Lake Road and lost control when attempting to turn onto Heggness Road. The car struck a tree, causing the passenger serious head and facial injuries that "left him incapacitated and disfigured," according to the State Patrol report.

The prosecution alleges that Wineman fled through the woods and was later picked up by a couple driving on Deer Lake Road. The State Patrol reported the couple took Wineman, who was covered with blood and seemed intoxicated, back to the scene of the collision.

A State Patrol trooper arrested Wineman and took her to the hospital for treatment and a blood test. Her blood alcohol content was 0.27.

The victim was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of head and facial injuries.

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