by Phillip Drum, PharmD   Today my sister would be turning 63 — that is — if she hadn’t been killed by a stoned driver while on her way to work in 2012. The incident occurred a few months before Washington voters chose to legalize marijuana, without knowing that the guilty driver had used pot before the fatal crash.

Rosemary Tempel, RN, BSN, BC, CQIA was 56 years old at the time. She was driving to work at Virginia Mason Hospital in downtown Seattle, WA.  Timothy Durden was speeding in the center turn lane, traveling in the opposite direction while under the influence of marijuana.  He was speeding toward a stopped vehicle in a center turn lane.  At the last second before striking the stopped vehicle, Durden swerved, directing his Jeep into Rosemary’s car, which was traveling 35 mph in the opposite direction.  He catapulted over Rosemary’s car – crushing her and breaking her neck.  She had to be cut out of her vehicle.  

Durden’s car lost the two front wheels and tumbled down the busy road resulting in an 8-car pile up.  When pulling Durden’s vehicle upright, a Seattle police detective saw marijuana and multiple business cards to a marijuana dispensary fall from the vehicle. Continue reading My sister would have been 63 today →