22-Year-Old Accused of Vehicular Homicide After Crashing BMW While Intoxicated

A 22-year-old man from Washington state has been charged with vehicular homicide after a fatal crash that killed his friend and injured three others. The incident occurred early May 8 near W. Airport Drive and S. Spotted Road in Spokane, where Salom Batlok's BMW collided with a pole following a night of heavy drinking and THC use.

According to police reports, Batlok allegedly consumed several beers and smoked from a THC dab pen before the crash. He was found with multiple open alcohol containers in his vehicle, and his clothing reeked of alcohol. The crash resulted in the death of 21-year-old Dewayne Aiseia and left Batlok and two other passengers—both seriously injured—with broken teeth and busted legs.

Despite evidence to the contrary, Batlok initially attempted to claim that his deceased friend was the driver. However, after being shown a photo from the scene, he admitted he was behind the wheel. During a bond hearing, prosecutors revealed that Batlok had drank until he felt "gone" and showed no signs of evasive action before the crash. A judge set his bond at $250,000, and he remains in custody pending a court appearance on June 22.