Washington State teen driver fleeing police crashes and kills three

EVERETT, WA - A teen driver attempting to outrun Snohomish County deputies lost control of the car, struck and killed three people, and injured two others. 

According to MyNorthWest, the crash happened in the morning on Saturday, November 9th, near the intersection of Airport Road and Center Road. Initially, police thought the victims were homeless and living in a homeless encampment. However, on Monday, November 11th, Everett Police Department (EPD) Officer C.J. Hawley said, "It's not a homeless encampment. There are no tents or anything like that but there is a large amount of transient population that gathers there."

The incident started when a deputy tried to pull over a car, however, the driver of the black sedan fled and ended up speeding into an area within the Everett City limits. The car then ended up next to a chain-link fence in front of the La Palmera Mexican Restaurant and Lounge. The deputy was not speeding after the sedan.

Hawley said there were three teens in the car and all three tried to run after the driver hit the five pedestrians after crashing the car. As of this writing, the incident is still being investigated and the name of the individual driving the car has not yet been released. Hawley said, "We can't necessarily put charges on somebody who was riding in a vehicle as opposed to driving the vehicle, so we have to do our best to determine who that driver was."

Police are also asking for the public's help in determining who was behind the wheel. Hawley said, "Any tips or information they think is helpful or pertinent, we would certainly appreciate that." Police released all three teens to their parents. 

Officers who worked the scene are being offered assistance as the investigation continues. Hawley said, "Whenever officers are exposed to things like this, which is unfortunately too often, we do have the infrastructure to support those officers." As with any fatality collision, detectives will also determine if alcohol or drugs played a part in the crash.

According to reports, under state law, police must provide juveniles with access to an attorney before they give a police interview and because of this they could not question the teens or conduct a blood-alcohol test. Medics transported the two surviving victims to Providence Hospital in Everett. EPD is working to identify those who killed and notify their families. 

The Everett Fire Department (EFD) said that the two others who were injured were both women in the 20s. They were taken to the hospital where they were treated for their injuries. One suffered back and leg injuries and the other sustained "multiple traumatic injuries.

 
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by LET CMS™ Comments

Get latest news delivered daily!

We will send you breaking news right to your inbox

© 2024 Law Enforcement Today, Privacy Policy