“Again? Did he hurt anyone this time?”
Those were the words of Sophie Campbell (now Lambert) who suffered serious injures in a 2011 head-on collision that claimed the life of her cousin and left her and her father, Angus Campbell, badly injured.
Steven W. Boyd of Port Angeles, Washington, was convicted of alcohol-related vehicular homicide for his actions which caused the death of Ahousaht grandfather, Darrell Campbell. It was in June 2012 when Boyd, then 48, appeared in a Port Angeles Courtroom to face a judge. He pleaded guilty to alcohol-related vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault. He was sentenced to five years in Clallam County Corrections facility.
Boyd, now released from prison, was again arrested on the morning of Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 for driving while intoxicated. In the U.S., it’s called DUI – Driving Under the Influence. His booking information appeared on the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office – Corrections Division website. Boyd was arrested for the incident, but has since been released. Charges are pending as a blood sample undergoes lab analysis. This process takes over a year, according to a Kitsap County Prosecutor. In the meantime, Boyd can legally drive.
Sophie Campbell, now Sophie Lambert, was terribly injured in the 2011 collision that took the life of her cousin. She spent months in a Seattle hospital while her father, Angus Campbell, was treated for his injuries at another hospital.
It was the early morning of August. 25, 2011, when the Campbells boarded a ferry in Victoria, B.C., headed for Neah Bay. They landed in Port Angeles and made their way west in a pick-up truck just after 8 a.m. Angus and Darrell Campbell were in the front seats while Sophie, then 18, rode in the back seat.
They only made it about five miles down the highway toward Neah Bay when an oncoming SUV drifted into their lane, striking them almost head-on. The driver of the other vehicle was Steven W. Boyd, who was intoxicated, and injured from the collision as well. Two sets of blood alcohol readings were taken from Boyd following the accident and both were above the .08 per cent Washington State legal blood-alcohol limit.
Sophie and her father Angus were airlifted to separate hospitals in Washington state where it took several weeks to recover from their extensive injuries. Darrell Campbell died at the scene.
When Sophie heard the news that Boyd was arrested for DUI, there was a moment of stunned silence, then she asked, “again?” She went on to ask if he hurt anyone else in his most recent arrest. And then she cried.
“I still have a really hard time with this,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa.
It’s been over 13 years since that terrible summer morning. But the passage of time likely allowed Boyd to have his driver’s license reinstated. According to the Washington State Department of Licensing, an alcohol-related homicide conviction means a two-year revocation of the driver’s license.
Boyd was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison in June 2012. If he served the entire five years, he would be freed in the summer of 2017.
Washington State Law requires revocation of the driver’s license for two years in the case of vehicular homicide convictions, but it is not clear if the revocation starts at the time of sentencing or at the time of release from prison. In any case, it has been far more than two years since Boyd served his time and he could have met all the legal requirements to have his driver’s license reinstated.
Sabrina, the daughter of the Darrell Campbell also asked if he hurt anyone else in his most recent arrest.
"We are deeply saddened that Steven Boyd continues to engage in the destructive behavior of drinking and driving,” reads a statement from the family. “This brings back painful memories of the traumatic day we lost our loved one. We had hoped that he and others would learn from this tragic event that affected not only our family but also our nation.”
The circumstances of Boyd’s most recent DUI arrest are not known. However, the fact that this has happened again is concerning for the victims and families.
“I wish he would learn,” Sophie Campbell said through her tears. “I was in a dark place for so long – I hated him for so long.”
Sophie took the advice of her husband and began working with a therapist.
“I realized I needed to forgive him so I can move on with my life,” she shared.
Sophie wondered what Boyd would face in terms of punishment from the Washington State courts.
“What can they offer him to help him realize what he’s doing is wrong?” Sophie asked. “At times I wished they would keep him in in there. He killed my cousin, my big brother. Five years (Boyd’s sentence) is not enough.”
“It looks like Mr. Boyd was arrested for DUI, but he has not yet been charged,” Kitsap County Prosecutor Chad Enright wrote in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa. “Based upon his prior conviction, we could charge him with a felony DUI, which is the highest-level DUI in the State of Washington.”
Enright went on to explain that in order to proceed with felony DUI charges, they must prove blood alcohol level from blood samples. In Boyd’s case, a blood sample was taken and is being sent to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.
“Currently, the Crime Lab takes 14 to 18 months to provide blood results. So, we will not be able to file charges until those results are provided,” said Enright.
“So, we have not charged Mr. Boyd with DUI, and will have to wait until we receive the results to file charges,” Enright added. “I’m sure this won’t provide any solace to the families of his victims, unfortunately, this is common right now in Washington and all blood tests results for DUI are taking this long to process.”
“We urge the USA legal system to take into consideration that this is a repeat offender who has not changed his ways,” stated the family of Darrell Campbell. “As a family, we have always supported MADD and encouraged responsible behavior around alcohol consumption."
“A part of me just wants to leave it alone – it’s too painful,” said elder Angus Campbell. “But I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
