Reckless Driving Charge for Going Straight from a Left Turn Lane

My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: Washington.

So long story short. I was in the left only lane and I needed to go straight. My friend was in the car in front of me. So when the left turn light turned green my friend and I both went straight through the light and cut over. I know stupid mistake. So a cop flips around and pulls my buddy over in the turn lane. So I keep driving by the cop. And the cop catches up to me with excessive speed and cuts me off to the point where I slam my breaks and drive up onto the curb. If it had been wet I would have hit the cops car. So my friend turned off the road and left. So the cop comes up to me and I'm in my friends car and I don't know where his registration or insurance is so I'm looking. And he says get your friend back here or I'm taking you to jail and impounding your car. So I panic and call my friend and he comes back to where I'm pulled over on the curb and we both get reckless driving tickets. What do you guys think?

There are probably ways to get them reduced to less serious infractions if you plead not guilty.

Consult an attorney.

Read this . But if you have been charged with 46.61.500, consult an attorney.

If the officer had his emergency lights and/or siren running, then cutting you off was because you did not stop for them as legally required. Clearly you knew he was coming after you from your description. My point is, you will get nowhere with trying to make any argument about his speed or cutting you off because he was in the process of pulling over a vehicle that failed to yield. You are lucky he didn't cite you on that as well.

And yes, an attorney is your best bet at this point. The ticket is the worst possible traffic cite you can receive that does not carry jail time. However, if convicted, your insurance rates will skyrocket.

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Quoting thewiseone

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Read this . But if you have been charged with 46.61.500, consult an attorney.

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Don't see any link near the "read this."

I don't think you'll be convicted on the reckless driving unless you're leaving stuff out, which I think may be the case. Anyway, as has been suggested, you'd better talk with an attorney. I'm guessing your case and your friend's case could be consolidated which may reduce attorney fees. You might want to ask the attorney about that.

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Quoting donzoh1

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Don't see any link near the "read this."

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"this" is clickable. Takes ya to the WA procedural guide.

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Quoting Speedy Gonzalez

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If the officer had his emergency lights and/or siren running, then cutting you off was because you did not stop for them as legally required. Clearly you knew he was coming after you from your description. My point is, you will get nowhere with trying to make any argument about his speed or cutting you off because he was in the process of pulling over a vehicle that failed to yield. You are lucky he didn't cite you on that as well.

And yes, an attorney is your best bet at this point. The ticket is the worst possible traffic cite you can receive that does not carry jail time. However, if convicted, your insurance rates will skyrocket.

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Reckless driving does carry possible jail time. Up to 364 days plus $5000 penalty plus a mandatory license suspension of not less than 30 days.

Sounds like at least failure to yield to a cop was available and maybe even fleeing and aluding for the friend that drove away once stopped. If cop had to pull in front of op to get him to stop fleeing and aluding sounds like it might have been a possibility for op as well.

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Quoting donzoh1

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Don't see any link near the "read this."

I don't think you'll be convicted on the reckless driving unless you're leaving stuff out, which I think may be the case. Anyway, as has been suggested, you'd better talk with an attorney. I'm guessing your case and your friend's case could be consolidated which may reduce attorney fees. You might want to ask the attorney about that.

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RCW 46.61.500


Reckless driving—Penalty.


(1) Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Violation of the provisions of this section is a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to three hundred sixty-four days and by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars.


picture this:

2 guys in a turn lane next to traffic in a straight through lane. Light turns green (turn).
There are two possible situations

1. Through lane light also turns green. Especially since there were two cars that were cutting over to the through lane they had to drive like bats out of hell to get far enough ahead of traffic in the straight lane and then cut over into the straight lane. I don't see how that can be anything but reckless driving

2. Only left turn light went green. If typical system the left turn from the other direction also went green. Op and friend had to cross across traffic turning left in front of them. Again, reckless appears to be the appropriate charge.

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Quoting jk

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RCW 46.61.500


Reckless driving—Penalty.


(1) Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Violation of the provisions of this section is a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to three hundred sixty-four days and by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars.


picture this:

2 guys in a turn lane next to traffic in a straight through lane. Light turns green (turn).
There are two possible situations

1. Through lane light also turns green. Especially since there were two cars that were cutting over to the through lane they had to drive like bats out of hell to get far enough ahead of traffic in the straight lane and then cut over into the straight lane. I don't see how that can be anything but reckless driving

2. Only left turn light went green. If typical system the left turn from the other direction also went green. Op and friend had to cross across traffic turning left in front of them. Again, reckless appears to be the appropriate charge.

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You are jumping to conclusions. For example, if it was #2 and there were no cars turning left from the other direction, there was no "willful and wonton disregard for safety of persons or property".

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Quoting jk

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Reckless driving does carry possible jail time. Up to 364 days plus $5000 penalty plus a mandatory license suspension of not less than 30 days.

Sounds like at least failure to yield to a cop was available and maybe even fleeing and aluding for the friend that drove away once stopped. If cop had to pull in front of op to get him to stop fleeing and aluding sounds like it might have been a possibility for op as well.



RCW 46.61.500


Reckless driving—Penalty.


(1) Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Violation of the provisions of this section is a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to three hundred sixty-four days and by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars.


picture this:

2 guys in a turn lane next to traffic in a straight through lane. Light turns green (turn).
There are two possible situations

1. Through lane light also turns green. Especially since there were two cars that were cutting over to the through lane they had to drive like bats out of hell to get far enough ahead of traffic in the straight lane and then cut over into the straight lane. I don't see how that can be anything but reckless driving

2. Only left turn light went green. If typical system the left turn from the other direction also went green. Op and friend had to cross across traffic turning left in front of them. Again, reckless appears to be the appropriate charge.

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There are obvious traffic conflicts as you point out, either opposite direction turning left in front of OP or thru traffic, same direction. This all depends on where such traffic was and whether and how fast it was moving. OP doesn't provide such details, but my impression was that the cop was pissed that one didn't pull over and then the other drove away. Clearly, fleeing and eluding, failure to yield, or maybe even reckless might be justified. However, if the cop started off with something like disregarding a sign, marking or signal, and then graduated to a far more serious charge, the more serious charge is questionable.

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Quoting thewiseone

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You are jumping to conclusions. For example, if it was #2 and there were no cars turning left from the other direction, there was no "willful and wonton disregard for safety of persons or property".

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And anybody that disagrees with my possibilities is jumping to conclusions there were no other cars.