SPOKANE, Wash. — The man accused of crashing into two buildings on South Freya Street in August 2021, including a Dutch Bros coffee stand with employees inside, has pleaded guilty to vehicular assault.
48-year-old McGavin Medrain was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Wednesday. He was also given 18 months of community custody.
Seven people, ranging in age from children to adults, were injured in the crash, with at least one person taken to a hospital.
Medrain failed two parts of a field sobriety test taken after the crash, according to a warrant.
In a search warrant filed for Medrain's blood, a Washington State Trooper wrote that Medrain first said he used meth "within the last week," but after more questioning, he admitted to using the drug the night before the crash.
Medrain has four felonies and 10 misdemeanors in Idaho with charges including DUIs, reckless driving, and not operating a commercial vehicle in a safe manner. He is also on parole out of Idaho.
A witness told police he heard “metal on metal grinding” coming from Freya Street and saw a large truck driving at a high speed. He said the truck was allegedly weaving in and out of traffic and eventually hit several vehicles before crashing into the buildings.
The same witness then helped people trapped inside a car that was pinned between the coffee stand and the dump truck, according to documents.
Freya Street crash
Another witness said she saw a man sitting across the street from the Dutch Bros that was “very bloody” and appeared to be injured, documents say. She said she asked the man if he was ok, to which he replied, “Did I kill anyone?"
Seven people, including a Dutch Bros employee, were injured in the crash.
None of the injuries were life-threatening but one person was taken to the hospital, according to documents.
Kevin Parker, the owner of the old Dutch Bros location, confirmed that a new coffee stand is being built at the same location on Freya and Fourth Street. He expects it will open in early spring.
Parker said the former Freya crew is excited to return to that location, adding that working at that location again is a way for his employees to show their resilience.