The 19-year-old Centralia man arrested following a fatal collision on state Route 6 near Dryad Sunday afternoon has been charged with vehicular homicide.
Bryan Leonel Mauricio Correa could spend up to life in prison if convicted.
He made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday.
Mauricio Correa was charged with one count of vehicular homicide, a Class A felony and potential strike offense; three counts of vehicular assault, all Class B felonies; and one count of reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor.
According to the Washington State Patrol, Mauricio Correa was driving west on state Route 6 at about 5:39 p.m. Sunday when his 2001 Acura sedan crossed the centerline and collided with a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo going in the opposite direction.
Mauricio Correa, who was reportedly driving alone, was first transported to Providence Centralia Hospital before he was booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 10:30 p.m.
The driver of the Aveo, Omar Barojas-Medina, 22, of Poulsbo, was transported via helicopter to Tacoma General Hospital, while passenger Angel Bonilla Barojas, 32, was transported by ambulance to Providence Centralia Hospital. Another passenger, Mynor G. Jeronimo-Matia, 24, of Bremerton, was taken via helicopter to PeaceHealth Southwest Hospital.
Barojas-Medina and Jeronimo-Matia remain in stable but critical condition from lacerations and other serious injuries. Bonilla Barojas reportedly suffered two broken ribs.
According to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, a third passenger, Miguel Jax Pu, was taken by ambulance to Providence Centralia. He died at the hospital.
In its probable cause affidavit, the prosecutor’s office wrote that a state trooper arrived at the scene to find the Aveo “in the ditch on the south side of the road” and Mauricio Correa’s Acura “in the eastbound lane facing the wrong way.”
First responders were reportedly removing the four Aveo occupants from the vehicle.
The trooper spoke with a witness, who allegedly identified Mauricio Correa as the driver and spoke about the cause of the collision.
“The witness said Mauricio Correa was behind him driving westbound on state Route 6. Mauricio Correa moved around him to pass in the oncoming lane. Mauricio Correa continued to drive at a high rate of speed in (the) oncoming lane until he crashed head-on with the Chevrolet Aveo,” the affidavit stated.
According to prosecutors, another witness also said Mauricio Correa passed him, despite the oncoming traffic, and continued in the opposite lane until he crashed into the Aveo.
“One of the witnesses indicated that Mauricio Correa had tried to run away from the scene but was physically prevented from leaving by the witness,” the affidavit states.
The trooper spoke to Mauricio Correa with the help of a Spanish-speaking bystander. He noted the suspect’s bloodshot, watery eyes and the “strong odor of intoxicants” from his breath.
According to the affidavit, Mauricio Correa allegedly admitted to drinking five beers. The trooper found an empty beer bottle and a full beer bottle inside the Acura.
Mauricio Correa’s preliminary breath test reportedly showed 0.256% — more than three times the legal limit, as noted by Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer during the hearing.
According to the affidavit, Mauricio Correa was convicted in Lewis County Superior Court of vehicular assault by DUI and minor in possession of alcohol in June 2023.
Meyer referenced this prior juvenile conviction and said the defendant “failed to heed” the previous lesson.
“And now we have a death and several people injured,” Meyer said, adding that Mauricio Correa posed a clear risk to community safety and was unlikely to follow conditions of the release.
The prosecutor asked for a bail of $2 million.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for no more than $500,000, saying the defendant was employed as a day laborer and had strong ties to the area, including family present in the courtroom. She added he would of course agree not to get in the driver’s seat of a motor vehicle, and would wear a secure continuous remote alcohol monitoring (SCRAM) device.
Tiller indicated she saw no adult criminal history or failures to appear in court when reviewing the defendant’s case history.
Judge Paul Strophy settled at $1 million cash or bond, with conditions to include no contact with witnesses or victims, as well as prohibitions on consuming alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substances.
The judge ordered Mauricio Correa to obtain a SCRAM or other similar device, and said he must sign a release allowing the court to receive reports from the tests.
Mauricio Correa is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle.
An arraignment was scheduled for Nov. 20. Mauricio Correa will look to retain.
