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Man charged with felony murder after deadly crash in Parkland

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PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A man involved in a deadly crash in Parkland on Wednesday morning has now been charged with murder.

Prosecutors say the crash occurred when 47-year-old Donald Rownan attempted to evade police due to a felony warrant for his arrest.

The crash happened when Rownan reportedly ran a red light at high speed, striking a car going through a green light at the intersection.

The victim was 20-year-old Paola Parbol.

“He shouldn’t be out. He shouldn’t be free. He took the life of a woman I love,” said Gabriel Pangelinan, the victim’s boyfriend, who was present in court.

Paola Parbol was a student at Pacific Lutheran University, studying criminal justice. She also worked part-time at a daycare, where she was known for her compassion for children.

Rownan, who has a long criminal history, was recently released from prison two months ago. He has been arrested dozens of times, with court appearances dating back to 1997.

In charging documents, prosecutors say Rownan showed an “egregious lack of remorse.” He attempted to shift blame onto the authorities, suggesting they could have avoided the chase.

Rownan faces eight criminal charges:

  • Murder in the second degree
  • Vehicular homicide
  • Failure to remain at accident resulting in death
  • Vehicular assault
  • failure to remain at accident resulting in injury
  • Eluding a pursuing police vehicle
  • Escape from community custody
  • Reckless driving

Rownan remains in custody with bail set at $750,000. His next court appearance will be in November.

A memorial for Parbol has been set up at the crash site, and a vigil was planned for Thursday evening.

Her family has also set up a GoFundMe, which you can find here.

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