Pendleton Man Sentenced for Vehicular Assault Intoxicated Defendant Drove the Wrong Way on Interstate 84, Colliding with Victims

Topics:  Interstate Highway System

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon
December 16, 2010

PORTLAND, OR—Eric Louis Broncheau, 21, of Pendleton, was sentenced on December 7, 2010 in U.S. District Court following his plea of guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Broncheau was sentenced to 22 months in custody and ordered to pay restitution to the victims by U.S. District Judge Ancer L. Haggerty.

According to the statements made in court, in March, 2009, Broncheau attended a party where he drank excessively. He then attempted to drive home, but instead turned eastbound onto the westbound lane of Interstate 84 within the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Broncheau subsequently crashed head-on with another vehicle driven by Maria Delgadillo. Of the four occupants, Ms. Delgadillo and the front seat passenger were seriously injured while another adult and an infant in the back seat were uninjured.

"Drunk driving ends with tragedy—prison for the driver here, and serious injury for others. We usually see a spike in impaired driving during the holidays, so this is a timely reminder: If you drink, don't drive—period."

This investigation was conducted by the Pendleton Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug.