The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an impaired driver for vehicular assault. Deputies responded to a two-vehicle collision in Medical Lake around 4 a.m. on December 25, 2023. One of the drivers was taken into custody while the second driver was taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. He remains in critical but stable condition.

Around 4 a.m. on December 25, 2023, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of North Stanley Street and East Ladd Street in Medical Lake. Authorities say a silver Ford sedan was traveling north on Stanley Street. The adult male driver of a Ford F250, identified as 18-year-old Luke M. Ruggiero, ran a stop sign while traveling east on Ladd Street and caused the collision.

Investigators suspect Ruggiero was driving over the speed limit of 25 MPH. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious and possibly life-threatening injuries. He remains in serious but stable condition. Due to the seriousness of the victim’s injuries, Traffic Unit Investigators were called to the scene to investigate.

Deputies say there were indications that Ruggiero was possibly under the influence of alcohol. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office claims he admitted to consuming alcohol before the crash and agreed to perform field sobriety evaluations. His BAC level was .107. The BAC legal limit for DUI with a driver under 21 is .02.

Police also say Ruggiero had a previous DUI arrest in June 2022. A search warrant was obtained for a blood sample. Ruggiero was arrested for Vehicular Assault and booked into the Spokane County Jail.