Updated on: 2/15/2019
On February 24th at approximately 8 p.m., a driver lost control of a Nissan Altima in the 7700 block of Hardeson Road in Everett, Washington. Police offers who arrived at the scene found a 38-year-old man in the front passenger seat and a female passenger in the back seat. There was no one in the driver’s seat.
Emergency responders transported both passengers to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. The female passenger, who was unresponsive at the car accident scene, died in the hospital from injuries sustained in the accident. The male passenger is still alive, and authorities have not released an update on his medical condition.
Investigators have found that a police officer had spotted the Nissan travelling northbound on 5th Ave W without its headlights on. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, it drove off at a high rate of speed. The officer decided not to pursue the speeding vehicle.
According to investigators, the fleeing car sped northbound on 5th Avenue W onto Hardeson Road. There, it crossed the centerline before leaving the road, striking a rock wall, and returning to the roadway. The vehicle finally stopped in the center of the road.
Driver at-fault for Everett accident fled the scene, but was later tracked down
Initial efforts from police and emergency responders focused on getting the injured passengers to the hospital. Investigators suspected that the driver had been hurt in the collision, but were unsure of his injuries, as he had fled from the scene on foot.
A police K-9 unit with the Everett Police Department responded to the scene. The K-9 was able to track down the driver, who was also transported to the hospital. After receiving treatment for his injuries, he was charged with hit-and-run and vehicular homicide and booked into Snohomish County Jail. His identity has not been released by police, but he is known to be a resident of Lynnwood.
Investigators are still looking into the circumstances of the accident. The Nissan Altima has been impounded as evidence, and once police obtain a search warrant, they will search the vehicle. Police officials have not yet told reporters whether they believe that drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision. They have also not said whether the Nissan Altima belonged to the driver who fled the vehicle after the crash.