A 4-year-old boy who was a passenger in the car that Robert Ottoboni struck on Yelm Highway now needs multiple reconstructive facial surgeries resulting from injuries he suffered in the crash, a prosecutor said in court.
Victim-impact statements written by the boy’s family that are part of the court record describe in detail the disfiguring injuries the boy suffered, as well as the financial and emotional toll on family members.
Ottoboni, 34, pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and hit and run during a hearing Wednesday before Thurston County Superior Court Judge Gary Tabor. Ottoboni also pleaded guilty to aggravating factors in both of his felony convictions that might enhance his potential jail or prison term.
Court records indicate that a State Patrol trooper smelled alcohol on Ottoboni’s breath after he intercepted Ottoboni at the Mountain View Veterinarian Clinic after the crash. He told the trooper he had drunk “three tall Olympia beers while playing golf that day.”
The standard range for Ottoboni’s crimes is between 12 and 14 months of confinement, his defense attorney, James Dixon, said outside court Wednesday. But Thurston County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Bruneau said he will ask the judge to impose a sentence much longer than the standard range at Ottoboni’s sentencing hearing.
The statutory maximum possible sentence for Ottoboni’s crimes is 10 years, Dixon said.
Ottoboni’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22 in Thurston County Superior Court.
The crash occurred while Ottoboni was attempting to pass traffic on Yelm Highway, court papers state. Witnesses said Ottoboni’s Subaru wagon was driving at speeds between 70 and 100 miles per hour, court papers state. After the crash, Ottoboni fled, carrying the dog in his arms. Ottoboni, “admitted to driving down the center turn lane, and passing vehicles … He said he only cared about getting his injured dog to the clinic for care, so he ran from the scene to the clinic,” court papers state.
The 4-year-old was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after the crash. A 10-year-old boy also in the car was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia after the crash.
Ottoboni asked a trooper about the injuries to the people in the vehicle he struck and sobbed when he was advised of the injuries to the child, court papers state.
Ottoboni’s dog died at the veterinary hospital, an official there has said.
Ottoboni is taking part in a work-release program at the Thurston County Jail that allows him to work during the day and return to jail overnight, Dixon said.
Dixon said his client is having trouble sleeping because of his remorse. Dixon pointed out that “it’s almost unheard of” for someone to plead guilty “straight up” to two felonies, along with aggravating factors, without seeking a plea agreement, as Ottoboni did.
Dixon said Ottoboni wants to take responsibility for his actions and be held accountable. In the future, and with the permission of the court and the victim’s family, Ottoboni looks forward to making his apology to the family, Dixon added.
“He really is having a tough, tough time,” Dixon said.
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5465
jpawloski@theolympian.com
