A 27-year-old man is facing serious charges after a tragic drunk-driving crash in north Spokane earlier this month. The crash left one passenger dead and three other people badly injured.
According to court documents, Jack Labi was behind the wheel when he crashed his car, killing 47-year-old Dickson Keija. Labi now faces multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, three counts of vehicular assault, three counts of injury hit-and-run, and one count of fatal hit-and-run.
The crash happened around 9:35 a.m. on January 12 near the intersection of Central Avenue and Addison Street, not far from Providence Holy Family Hospital. Police say Labi was driving a 2009 Subaru Tribeca at high speed, heading south on Addison, when he slammed into a 2013 Nissan LEAF that was turning onto Addison from Central. The impact sent Labi’s car crashing into a nearby home.
A witness who lives about a block away told police he heard the crash and ran outside. He saw Labi limping away from the scene and started chasing after him, yelling, “You gotta go back! You hurt some people!” But Labi reportedly responded, “I don’t care. Quit following me.” The witness said Labi even tried banging on an apartment door, asking to be let inside while trying to escape.
When police arrived, they quickly detained Labi. Officers noted several injuries on him, including a seat belt mark on his shoulder, a cut on his forehead, and bruises on his wrists and hands. They also observed that he was swaying, struggling to move properly, and smelled strongly of alcohol. His speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot, and he kept repeating himself. Labi refused to take a field sobriety test or a breathalyzer test, so officers took him to the hospital.
Unfortunately, Labi’s passenger, Dickson Keija, died at the hospital two days later. Another passenger in Labi’s car, 28-year-old Carlos Debrum, suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized. In the other vehicle, 58-year-old Michelle Gibson, who was driving the Nissan, broke her tibia, while her passenger, 64-year-old Donald Gibson, suffered severe injuries, including a broken spine, ribs, and clavicle.
Labi’s blood was taken as evidence, and after receiving medical clearance, he was booked into the Spokane County Jail later that day. He remains in jail with a $500,000 bond. His first court appearance was on January 13, followed by an arraignment on Wednesday. His trial is scheduled for March 24.
