Bellingham woman who killed pedestrian with her car in 2022 learns her fate
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- Kaycee Antila sentenced to 20 months for 2022 vehicular homicide in Bellingham.
- Antila's blood alcohol level was 0.16% after fatally striking Tyler Ford.
- Judge followed joint recommendation; sentence includes 1 year of community custody.
A Bellingham woman was sentenced Tuesday to 20 months in prison, three years after fatally hitting a pedestrian with her car.
Kaycee Elaine Antila, 28, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide with a disregard for the safety of others in Whatcom County Superior Court on June 3.
According to court records, Antila hit 37-year-old Tyler Collin Ford while he was walking in the eastbound lanes of Axton Road on the night of May 3, 2022. Antila performed poorly on a field sobriety test, and a blood test found she had a blood alcohol content of 0.16% — twice the legal limit.
Ford was one of eight pedestrians fatally struck by cars in Whatcom County in 2022, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Crash Data Portal.
Antila told police following the crash that she was coming from Glynn’s Shamrock Pub on Guide Meridian, where she had had a couple of drinks.
Antila’s attorney, Robert Butler, said in court that Antila had believed she was safe to drive when she left the bar. He said that a substance-abuse evaluation found she had no indicators of substance use disorder, and that she has now been sober for three years.
Ford’s family attended Antila’s plea and sentencing. They brought a large photo of Ford to the courtroom, which they held up for the judge.
“There’s not a day that we don’t think about him,” said Ford’s mother, Dana Browne.
Ford loved animals, Browne said, and had a dog named Joey. According to his obituary, Ford attended Ferndale High School and studied at Bellingham Technical College and Whatcom Community College.
Antila apologized to the family before her sentence was imposed.
Judge Evan Jones followed the agreed-upon sentencing recommendation from the prosecution and defense. He ordered Antila to serve 20 months in prison beginning immediately, followed by one year in community custody. The sentence is at the top of the standard range for the crime.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 10:27 AM.