An 18-year-old Black Diamond man pleaded guilty on Friday to reckless driving and received a suspended sentence of 364 days for his role in the “car surfing” death last spring of a fellow Kent-Meridian High School student.
Tyler T. Reber also received 24 months probation and 100 hours of community service as part of the sentence in King County Superior Court, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In addition, Reber must complete aggressive driving school and not drive for 12 months. Reber, who graduated from Kent-Meridian in June, did not serve any jail time.
Lupo Benson, 18, died from injures he suffered after falling off the hood of Reber’s vehicle on March 31.
Kent Police initially investigated Reber for vehicular homicide after interviewing witnesses and reviewing security camera footage of the incident.
But prosecutors said after consultation with the victim’s family and the circumstances of the crime, they decided to go for a reckless driving charge, a gross misdemeanor, as opposed to a felony charge.
Reber was driving a SUV through the school parking lot as Benson gripped the back edge of the hood near the windshield, with his chest on the hood and his feet toward the front of the vehicle, according to charging papers.
Reber backed the SUV out of a parking spot and then appeared to rapidly accelerate through the parking lot at about 15-20 mph and then made a sharp left turn. As Reber made the turn, Benson slid off the hood, his feet appeared to land first, but the momentum of his upper body continued toward the ground and the back of Benson’s head hit the pavement hard. Benson, a senior, died the next day Harborview Medical Center in Seattle from the head injury.
In the charging papers against Reber, prosecutors said that he drove a motor vehicle with willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons and property. Reber has no criminal history or driving violations. Prosecutors said this is the first “car surfing” case filed in the county.
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