Juvenile Arraigned on Six Counts in Fatal Lopez Collision

From the San Juan County Prosecutor’s Office

On September 9, 2009, San Juan County Prosecutor Randall K Gaylord filed charges in juvenile court against a 15-year-old Lopez Island juvenile who is alleged to be the driver in a single-car traffic collision that resulted in the death of Paul John Jaholkowsky of Abbotsford, B.C. and caused severe injuries to two other juveniles.

The 15-year-old driver was charged with one count of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault and three counts of reckless endangerment.  The separate charges were made for each victim in the case:  Mr. Jaholkowsky, a 7-year-old bicyclist, a 17-year-old passenger in the car, and three other bicyclists.

According to an affidavit filed by a deputy sheriff, the 15-year-old driver was operating a 1974 Chevy Nova northbound on Lopez Sound Road at a high rate of speed.   At the same time, John and Michele Clouse were riding their mountain bikes southbound on Lopez Sound road with their two daughters, aged 5 and 7, each on “trail along” attachments.  The bicycles had just passed a jogger, Mr. Jaholkowsky, when a car came upon them and struck one child’s hand before colliding with Mr. Jaholkowsky, and then an embankment.  A passenger in the Nova, a 17-year-old from Lopez Island, was ejected from the car and severely injured.

The defendant was arraigned on September 10 and pled “not guilty” to each count.  After reviewing the charging papers, and hearing from the attorneys for the state and for the juvenile, Judge John O. Linde imposed several conditions of release including bail of $10,000, curfew of 4 pm to 6 am, attendance at school, no contact with victims except as necessary for school-related activities, no operation of a motor vehicle at any time or for any reason, and law abiding behavior.

The court set a date of an adjudicatory hearing for November 2, 2009.