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A Newport, Washington, resident who killed a 33-year-old Reardan, Washington, woman in an apparent road rage crash in 2023 was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Paul G. Ainsworth, 44, faced second-degree murder and vehicular homicide charges in the death of Rebecca Powelson, but he pleaded guilty March 5 to first-degree manslaughter as part of a plea agreement, according to court documents.
Ainsworth intentionally struck the back of the pickup Powelson was driving the morning of Aug. 2, 2023, near Chattaroy, causing it to roll several times and killing Powelson, court records show. The drivers, Ainsworth in a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan and Powelson in a 1990 Ford Ranger, were headed south on U.S. Highway 2 north of Riverside High School.
The Washington State Patrol determined Powelson’s Ford “rotated violently counterclockwise” and rolled, according to documents. The Ford rolled through a drainage ditch off the northbound shoulder until it collided with a large boulder, coming to rest on its side in a driveway, law enforcement said in court records. Powelson died at the scene.
One witness compared Ainsworth’s driving to a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver used by law enforcement, saying Ainsworth suddenly drove hard to the right, hitting the rear side of the truck on the left side.
Spokane County Superior Court Judge Michelle Szambelan imposed an “exceptional sentence” above the 6½- to 8½-year standard range. Ainsworth will serve three years of probation when he’s released from prison.
