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Bellingham Driver Pleads Guilty after Hitting Pedestrian | Davis Law Group

An 18-year-old Bellingham man is going to prison for up to four-and-half-years after pleading guilty to fatally hitting a pedestrian and fleeing the scene in Bellingham on New Year’s day of this year. 

On Monday, Sean F. Crissy pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular homicide and hit-and-run fatality. Crissy was driving a van on New Years when he struck 54-year-old Mark Christian from behind as he was out for an evening walk.

Whatcom County Medical Examiner, Gary Goldfogel was able to determine that Christian died of blood loss from head injuries but wasn’t able to conclusively say that Christian would have survived had Crissy stopped and called 911 rather than fleeing the scene.

According to the Bellingham Herald, in his statement, Crissy admitted to police he had been drinking alcohol, was "tripping on mushrooms" and was sending a text message at the time of the accident.

Each year, more young drivers are involved involved in fatal accidents due to alcohol, drugs, and most notably texting while driving. The importance of educating young drivers of the dangers of texting while driving can not be over stated, especially when innocent lives are at stake.