Drunk Driver Indicted for Killing Passenger in Rollover Crash on Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona
July 7, 2011

Defendant’s Blood Alcohol Concentration Was .226 When He Ran Car Off Road

PHOENIX—A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Lindsey Darren Evanston, 29, of Parker, Ariz., for driving drunk and causing a crash that killed his 23-year-old female front-seat passenger. Evanston is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

The grand jury indicted Evanston on one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, on December 11, 2010, Evanston was driving 53 mph in a posted 35 mph zone in Parker when he failed to negotiate a curve and flipped his car over twice. When the car came to rest, the victim passenger was partially ejected. Firefighters extricated the victim, who was flown to a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. The victim died three days later due to injuries sustained in the crash. Evanston’s blood alcohol concentration was .226.

The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department, the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The prosecution is being handled by Jennifer E. Green, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER: CR-11-129-PHX-ROS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2011-143(Evanston)