Documents: Driver In Fatal D.C. Crash May Have Been On Drugs

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The driver of an SUV that hit and killed a young attorney standing on a sidewalk in downtown Washington, D.C. appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was driving triple the speed limit at the time of the crash, according to court documents obtained Wednesday.

James Chandler of Silver Spring, Maryland was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder, according to documents filed in D.C. Superior Court. He was ordered held pending a March 4 hearing.

"Until proven guilty, my client is innocent," his attorney, Charles Lazar, said Wednesday. He declined to comment further.

On Monday evening, 27-year-old attorney Phil Snodgrass was standing on a sidewalk in downtown Washington when an SUV being driven by Chandler, 33, crossed into oncoming lanes of traffic and hit a retaining wall, causing the vehicle to flip and roll, according to charging documents.

The SUV hit Snodgrass, who had massive trauma to his head and torso and was declared dead at a hospital about a half-hour later. Debris from the crash hit another pedestrian, who has been released from the hospital.

There was no indication that Chandler had stepped on the brakes, and evidence indicates he was driving 60 to 65 mph in a 25 mph zone, the charging documents said.

A detective who interviewed Chandler at the hospital after the crash concluded that Chandler was impaired and that his behavior indicated he was under the influence of drugs. Chandler sustained minor injuries and was treated and released.

Chandler reported smoking a $5 cigarette he bought from someone at a gas station before the crash, and said he had no memory of hitting Snodgrass, charging documents said.

Chandler told detectives he had taken a number of pain and psychiatric medications the day of the crash, the documents said.

Maryland court records show Chandler also faces charges of drunken driving and speeding in a January case in which he's accused of driving 104 mph in a 55 mph zone in Prince George's County. Chandler also has previously pleaded guilty in two drug cases.

Snodgrass, who lived in the District and grew up in the Baltimore area, was an assistant general counsel at the National Federation of Federal Employees, a union that represents government workers.

Snodgrass' parents say their son was working toward a doctorate degree at Georgetown Law Center, where he was headed when he was killed.

His sister, Grace Snodgrass, told The Washington Post that her brother "was everything."

"He was my partner in crime. He was my role model and my mom's confidante and my dad's inspiration," she said. "He was endlessly loving. I don't know how I am going live without Philip in the world. We have to believe that God needed him more."

She said her brother, who was single, loved to travel and hoped to find a career in international legal work one day.

"He was going to do really big, important things," she said.

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