A 15-year-old boy has been charged with multiple felonies, including vehicular assault, after allegedly striking three pedestrians in a crosswalk and driving away, according to charging documents filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Thursday.
The teen is accused of driving a stolen white Kia Soul recklessly through Seattle on Feb. 21, striking three people at the intersection of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 47th Street before abandoning the vehicle and attempting to run from police.
KIRO 7 News is not naming the teen because he is 15 years old.
According to investigators, the stolen Kia was first reported missing around 7:18 a.m. The victim said the car had been taken from his home hours earlier.
According to police, surveillance footage showed two suspects taking the vehicle.
By midday, reports began coming in about a white Kia being driven recklessly, weaving through traffic, and nearly hitting pedestrians.
Around 12:56 p.m., a witness called the police to report that the teen was seen speeding in a white Kia with a twisted license plate.
The witness told police she and a coworker yelled at the driver to slow down, recognizing the teen behind the wheel.
As the Kia approached, the witness said the teen swerved toward her and accelerated. She jumped out of the way, believing she would have been hit otherwise.
A half-hour later, at 1:29 p.m., police received multiple 911 calls reporting that a white Kia had hit three pedestrians in a crosswalk at 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 47th Street before fleeing.
Witnesses described the vehicle as having a shattered windshield, front-end damage, and a falling-off bumper.
The three victims were all transported to Harborview Medical Center with severe injuries.
As of Thursday, the 20-year-old female is satisfactory, one 21-year-old male is in serious condition in ICU, and the other 21-year-old male was discharged from the hospital.
One victim suffered a broken leg and arm. Another sustained a head injury, a broken pelvis, and two fractured femurs. The third victim, who was unresponsive at the scene, had a broken pelvis and possible head trauma. He was placed on a ventilator at the hospital.
Metro bus surveillance video captured the crash, showing the Kia speeding past a stopped bus and striking the pedestrians without slowing down.
Witnesses confirmed to police that the vehicle did not attempt to brake.
Shortly before 2 p.m., the witness called police again, reporting that the teen had returned to his apartment.
When officers arrived, the teen ran, first running into his unit, then jumping out of a window and attempting to escape on foot. Officers chased him for several hundred meters before he surrendered.
Minutes later, police received a tip about an abandoned white Kia Soul running in a parking lot at an apartment complex on Northeast Radford Drive.
The vehicle had severe damage, including a shattered windshield with what appeared to be blood on it. Officers noted that the car’s ignition had been completely destroyed, consistent with a stolen vehicle.
Investigators determined that given the short time between the witness’ near miss and the crosswalk crash, it was likely the teen was still behind the wheel at the time of the hit-and-run.
The teen has been charged with three counts of vehicular assault, felony hit-and-run, second-degree assault for allegedly attempting to strike the witness, possession of a stolen vehicle, and reckless driving.
He is being held at the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center. His next court appearance is scheduled for later this month.
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