Benitez-Santana was convicted of vehicular homicide and assault after causing the crash that killed Trooper Gadd.
EVERETT, Wash. — Raul Benitez-Santana was sentenced Wednesday to over 11 years in prison for his involvement in the crash that killed Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd in March 2024.
Benitez-Santana was convicted of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault in June after a criminal trial. According to court documents, Benitez-Santana was driving 107 mph while under the influence when he struck Gadd’s parked patrol vehicle on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 5 near Marysville. The crash killed Gadd, 27, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The maximum sentence for both counts was imposed by Snohomish County judge Karen Moore. Benitez-Santana was sentenced to 125 months on the vehicular homicide while under the influence count and 14 months on the vehicular assault count.
“Mr. Benitez-Santana had too much to drink, he mixed it with marijuana. His blood alcohol shows he was legally intoxicated,” Deputy Prosecutor Tobin Darrow stated during closing arguments.
The prosecution argued that the intoxication combined with the high speed and location of the crash demonstrated reckless driving.
“But for him driving at 100 miles per hour on the shoulder illegally, Trooper Gadd would not have been killed,” Deputy Prosecutor Isaac Wells told the jury.
Benitez-Santana’s defense attorney contested the charges, arguing that multiple factors contributed to the tragic accident, including the positioning and visibility of the trooper’s vehicle.
“He parked under an overpass. It was dark. His lights were off. And he was invisible,” Defense Attorney Emily Hancock argued.
The defense maintained that the crash was an accident rather than a criminal act.
“Mistaking the shoulder for a lane is not reckless. That is a mistake,” Hancock said. “Raul is not guilty of vehicular homicide. He is not guilty of vehicular assault and he was not impaired.”
After the verdict, the Washington State Patrol released a statement, saying in part the jury’s decisions are “just and welcomed.”
“With this decision, one more dangerous driver is removed from our streets, something Christopher Gadd dedicated his life to doing with every shift, by committing himself to conducting ‘one more stop’ on every day he served our state as a Washington State Trooper,” said Chief John R. Batiste. “While the verdict does not take away the pain of losing Chris, it does offer a modicum of relief for those who served with and loved this fine young man.”
