A 31-year-old man from Thornton has been sentenced to nine months in jail for causing a serious injury to another driver while under the influence of alcohol.

On April 26th, Riley Maley was driving his pickup truck when he ran a stop sign at Ralph Henning Road and U.S. Highway 195, colliding with a southbound pickup truck driven by 71-year-old Richard Hattan. Hattan sustained serious injuries and was transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Following the crash, Maley left the scene but was later located and arrested by law enforcement. An investigation revealed Maley had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.21, more than double the legal limit.

Maley entered a guilty plea to felony vehicular assault in Whitman County Superior Court. The prosecuting attorney requested a sentence of six months, while Maley’s defense attorney sought a three-month sentence. Hattan, the victim, requested the maximum sentence during the hearing. Judge Roger Sandberg ultimately imposed a nine-month jail sentence, along with a year of probation, an alcohol evaluation, and compliance with treatment recommendations. Maley was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to Hattan. During the sentencing, Maley expressed remorse for the incident.