520 Fatal Wrong-Way Crash Driver Sentenced to 10 Years

The man who pleaded guilty in a collision on State Route 520 that killed a woman driving to work was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Michael Anthony Robertson pleaded guilty in June as charged to Vehicular Homicide (DUI) in connection with a wrong-way crash the morning hours of April 4, that killed Morgan Williams, 58, a Seattle woman driving eastbound to work at Eddie Bauer's corporate offices in Bellevue.

According to prosecutors, Robertson was accused of making a U-turn in the eastbound lanes of 520 and attempting to drive back to Seattle just before 5:30 a.m. April 4. Moments later, his Ford Explorer collided near the Montlake on-ramp with a compact car driven by Williams, who later died at Harborview. Williams, a 32-year employee of Eddie Bauer, was on her way to work in Bellevue.

The closing speed of the two cars - or combined velocity -- was estimated at 100 mph. Police say they found an empty bottle of whiskey in Robertson’s Ford Explorer SUV. Robertson was awaiting trial on another DUI charge in Pierce County at the time of the crash.Robertson, 25, also pleaded guilty last month a prior DUI case from Tacoma, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. 

The sentence range was 6-1/2 to 8-1/2-years in prison, plus a two-year sentencing enhancement for the Tacoma DUI, the office said. 

According to the prosecuting attorney's office, the sentence for vehicular homicide (DUI) is now equal to a sentence for manslaughter first degree after a change by the state legislature last year.