Whatcom man sent to prison for 2018 crash that killed 18-year-old woman
A 25-year-old Blaine man will spend nearly a decade in prison for a 2018 car wreck north of Ferndale that killed his 18-year-old passenger.
Tristen Naryan Florence was sentenced April 29 in Whatcom County Superior Court to eight years in prison, with 1½ years probation for one count of vehicular homicide for the June 2018 death of Makyla Carpenter. Florence was convicted under the DUI-provision of the state’s vehicular homicide law.
As part of his sentencing, Florence can’t consume alcohol while on probation and must get a substance abuse evaluation and comply with any recommended treatment, according to court records.
Florence’s driver’s license is also revoked. He was taken into custody following his sentencing hearing, records show.
In a sentencing memorandum filed by deputy prosecuting attorney Gordon Jenkins, he asked the court to sentence Florence to 9½ years in prison — the maximum amount of time allowed under the standard range.
Jenkins wrote that Florence was highly intoxicated the night of the crash and operated his vehicle in “an unbelievably reckless manner that displayed an utter lack of regard for human life,” court records state.
Jenkins wrote that Florence’s conduct that evening was wildly dangerous and almost guaranteed a fatality would happen. Jenkins wrote that Florence shouldn’t be given an exceptional sentence below the standard range due to his age at the time of the crime, which was 21, and that Florence should be considered an adult, the records state.
Jenkins wrote that Carpenter had goals for her future, including a family road trip the following fall and was working towards turning her love of animals into a career as a veterinarian.
“Tragically, Makyla and her family and friends will never have an opportunity to see her plans come to fruition,” Jenkins wrote. “In the instant case, the defendant’s highly intoxicated and egregiously reckless driving unequivocally caused Makyla Carpenter’s death.”
Youthful offender
In a sentencing memorandum filed by Florence’s defense attorney, Lance M. Hester, he asked the court to sentence Florence to an exceptional sentence below the standard range.
Hester wrote that Florence should be entitled to a youthful offender sentence because “brain science and case law” support that his driving and ultimately Carpenter’s death were a result of “Florence’s incompletely developed youthful brain.”
While Hester conceded that Florence’s driving was the cause of Carpenter’s death, he wrote that Florence experienced adverse childhood factors that affected his brain development. Because of this, Florence’s driving was risky, did not reflect an appreciation for long-term consequences and did not account for others using the roadway, court records state.
Hester asked the court to sentence Florence to no more than four years in prison due to his youth at the time of the offense, his disadvantaged background and his recent maturity and success.
“Bad decision-making of an unformed brain yielded the horrible result of this case, the loss of Ms. Carpenter. This shines a bright light on Mr. Florence’s immaturity four years ago when he was 21,” Hester wrote in court records.
The crash
On June 28, 2018, Florence was driving a 2000 Volkswagen Passat northbound on Interstate 5 just north of the Grandview Road exit.
Several witnesses describe Florence’s driving as erratic and said he was driving more than 100 miles per hour, according to court records.
Florence attempted to pass between two motorcycles who were driving in the left and right lanes of I-5, but clipped the right side of one of the motorcycle’s mirrors while attempting to move into the left lane, the records state.
Florence lost control of the vehicle, which entered the grass median and rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its top, records show.
Carpenter was unrestrained and ejected from the vehicle and Florence had to receive help exiting the vehicle.
Carpenter was taken to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.
Florence told a medic that he had consumed a fifth of alcohol and Washington State Patrol troopers noticed he smelled of alcohol, according to court records.
Going places
Numerous family members and friends wrote letters to the court regarding Carpenter’s death, how the loss had affected their lives and asking for Florence to be given the maximum prison time allowed.
The letters describe a young woman who was special and beloved by friends and family alike. They wrote that Carpenter brought joy and light with her, that she had an infectious laugh and that she loved to help others and make them smile, the court records show. Carpenter spent much of her time volunteering and adventuring, friends and family wrote.
“She knew how to enjoy this life with the good and the bad, she was going places,” Nichole Rutledge wrote.
At Florence’s sentencing hearing, several of Carpenter’s family and friends spoke or had statements read to the court before Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Rob Olson sentenced Florence to eight years in prison.
