Abdon changes plea to guilty in vehicular homicide case

Tucker Samms Abdon, 34, of Eastsound, changed his plea of not-guilty to guilty of vehicular homicide on July 10 in San Juan County Superior Court.

Though Abdon maintains his innocence, he agreed to take an Alford plea, which means he recognizes that the state had enough evidence to charge him of a crime. The second charge of reckless driving was dropped as part of his plea change.

Standard range of confinement for vehicular homicide is 78-102 months with a maximum term of life and/or a fine of $50,000. Abdon is represented by Dennis Rollin Scott of Anacortes and has no previous criminal history.

In October 2018, Abdon was charged with one count of vehicular homicide in the death of Rachel B. Gibson, 32. He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment on Oct. 22.

At about 11:39 p.m., on Wednesday, Sept. 5, a vehicle traveling on Orcas Road at Nordstrom Lane left the roadway and struck a tree. The passenger side door and wheel had been torn off from the vehicle. Abdon was located inside the vehicle, where he allegedly told the deputy that he had been driving. EMS personnel located Gibson partially pinned under the vehicle, she sustained life-threatening injuries.

Abdon was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. Medical records show that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.141.

Gibson was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she died from her injuries sustained in the wreck on Sept. 7.