Court date set for car crash suspect

A South Whidbey woman facing one charge of vehicular homicide is set for arraignment in Island County Superior Court on Monday.

A South Whidbey woman facing one charge of vehicular homicide is set for arraignment in Island County Superior Court on Monday.

Michelle Nichols is scheduled on the court calendar to appear before Judge Vickie Churchill and enter a plea concerning the charge. She is accused of being intoxicated during a February car crash that claimed the life of a Freeland man, Tim Keil.

The accident occurred on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, near the intersection of Coles Road on Highway 525. Nichols was southbound and crossed the centerline, colliding with the northbound Keil.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and Nichols was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. State police later tested her blood and determined her blood-alcohol level to be 0.11 percent.

She was charged with one count of vehicular homicide Aug. 7 under the “DUI prong” of the charge, which is the most serious and carries the longest potential sentence. If convicted, she could face from 78 to 102 months in prison under the standard sentencing range.