Man charged with vehicular homicide for Downriver Drive crash one year ago

A 32-year-old man was charged with vehicular homicide one year after the Downriver Drive crash left his girlfriend dead.

Daniel J. Jones was driving a silver 2004 Buick LeSabre early in the morning on Aug. 4, 2022, when he tried to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone at twice the speed limit, causing him to roll down an embankment, according to court documents. Sunniva Seat, 23, died at the scene.

Jones reported the crash around 5:10 a.m. near the 4400 block of West Downriver Drive in Spokane, documents say. He said he lost control of his vehicle and rolled down the embankment, pinning Seat.

Officers found Jones walking on Downriver Drive. He was dirty and had blood on his face and hands, court records indicated.

Jones told police conflicting stories of what led to the crash, according to documents.

At the scene, he told police he was pulling out from a gravel parking area where he and Seat spent the night sleeping in the Buick. A truck approached and its headlights blinded him as it passed, which upset Jones, so he said he passed the truck in the double-yellow center divider.

Jones told police the truck then followed him closely, so he tried braking. That caused him to fishtail and lose control of the car.

At the hospital, Jones told police he was driving south when a truck turned into him – but never contacted his car – while passing in an attempt to run Jones off the road. Jones said he braked, which caused him to lose control.

In his third account of the events, Jones said the truck passed him and started “brake-checking” him.

He said that prompted him to pass the truck in a no-passing zone, and as he was alongside the truck, it turned into his lane, causing him to go down the embankment.

The driver of the pickup truck told police in November that he was driving southeast on Downriver Drive when the Buick exited a gravel parking turn-out and stopped in his path, causing him to slam on his brakes. The driver said he drove around the front of the Buick and continued on his way to work.

He said Jones then “gunned it” toward the rear of his truck. The driver said he felt Jones was upset about him driving around Jones and believed Jones intended to pass him. He said he placed his truck over the double-yellow line to deter Jones from passing, according to documents.

Jones continued accelerating and passed the driver at a high speed, the driver told police.

He said Jones continued speeding toward the turn in the road and drove down the embankment. The driver told police Jones never tried to slow down before leaving the roadway.

The driver told police his truck never contacted the Buick and he did not brake check Jones. Police said the driver provided the same information at the crash scene.

Police believe Jones never applied his brakes and did not lose control of the car until he entered the gravel turnout where he went off the road, documents say.

Information from the Buick indicated Jones was traveling over double the posted 25 mph speed limit and never applied his brakes before crashing.

Jones was scheduled for an arraignment Wednesday in Spokane County Superior Court, but the hearing was stricken for a “nonappearance” and a warrant was issued, according to the Superior Court website.

Jones was not listed in the Spokane County Jail as of Wednesday night.