ROYAL CITY — A Royal City man will be spending nine months in jail for driving while intoxicated in late November near Royal City and causing a three-vehicle injury collision.

Florentino Gutierrez, 50, of Royal City, pleaded guilty in Grant County Superior Court to vehicular assault and DUI. Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo followed a joint recommendation between Deputy Prosecutor Ed Owens and defense attorney Tyson Lang and sentenced Gutierrez to nine months of confinement in the Grant County Jail. The defendant will be sentenced on the DUI count at a later date.

About 7 a.m. Nov. 30 Gutierrez was driving a 1999 Nissan Frontier east on Road 12 Southwest, near Royal City, and was traveling at a “high rate of speed” as he approached the Road 12 Southwest/Road A Southwest intersection, according to court documents. Octavio Calderon, 37, of Royal City, was stopped ahead of Gutierrez in a Honda Accord with his turn signal on waiting to make a left turn onto Road A Southwest, according to court documents.

Gutierrez failed to yield to the Honda and plowed into the car from behind. The Honda rotated 180 degrees counter-clockwise and was struck by a westbound 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Shannon Maginn, 56, of Royal Camp. After the impact, the Ford went into a ditch on the north side of Road 12 Southwest.

The Accord spun another 180 degrees counter-clockwise and came to a rest on the road. Gutierrez continued driving east on Road 12 Southwest and parked about 50 yards away from the accident scene. Calderon was transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake, where he was diagnosed with fractures in his left hand. Gutierrez was taken to Othello Community Hospital in a private vehicle and later contacted by a deputy with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

“I made contact with Florentino at Othello Community Hospital, where Florentino was found to be impaired (alcohol). Florentino's eyes were bloodshot, droopy and watery. I could smell a medium odor of intoxicants coming from his person,” wrote the deputy.

Gutierrez agreed to perform a breath test for the deputy, in which he blew a .165. A driver in Washington can be charged with DUI if a breath or blood test shows the amount of alcohol in their blood is .08 or higher for adults 21 and over, according to the Department of Licensing. Gutierrez was arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail after he was released from the hospital.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.