A man who was drunk and hid after the accident has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for causing a fiery, fatal head-on car crash near Spanaway. Matthew James Haygood, 31, pleaded guilty in May to charges of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. He learned his punishment June 26 in Pierce County Superior Court. The accident on March 7 on State Route 507 claimed the life of Todd Morose, 50. The Tacoma man was driving his family in their SUV. His wife, the front-seat passenger, suffered abdominal and head injuries, including the loss of an eye. The couple's 12-year-old daughter, who was trapped in the backseat after the collision, suffered a head laceration, a spinal fracture and two broken legs. A second daughter escaped serious injury. "This is a particularly horrible example of why drunk driving is so dangerous,GÇ¥ said county Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist. He noted that Morose's wife and children "will bear the tragic consequences of Mr. Haygood's actions for the rest of their lives.GÇ¥ A fund-raising drive at gofundme.com has raised $6,210 in donations for the family. In a posting on the web site, Leeann Morose thanked contributors for helping her with "the mounting medical bills." Authorities said Haygood was driving his neighbor's pickup truck, which he'd borrowed to pick up some wood pallets, when he rear-ended a vehicle in Spanaway. Witnesses said the truck was swerving and crossing the centerline prior to the crash. Haygood sped away from the scene. Ten minutes later, Haygood drove across the centerline of SR-507 near East Gate Road and struck the Morose family's vehicle. Haygood's truck was fully engulfed in flames when first-responders arrived, but he was nowhere to be found. Authorities said Haygood hid in nearby woods for four hours before returning to the scene and saying he had been "wandering around the woods calling for help.GÇ¥ According to Lindquist, Haygood told officers he went to a friend's house and drank before getting behind the wheel. Toxicology reports showed Haygood's blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit and that he had used marijuana.
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