Traffic Collision detectives are investigating after a man in a carjacked vehicle fled from police early Thursday and crashed into another vehicle in the Highland Park neighborhood, killing both drivers.
The incident began with an armed carjacking shortly before 11 PM Wednesday in the 1500 block of South State Street, where three suspects stole a man’s 2002 Honda Accord at gunpoint and fled.
Around 2 AM, an officer on patrol in West Seattle saw the Honda, occupied by one man, near the Southwest Precinct and began following behind while radioing for additional units. When additional officers arrived, the officer activated her emergency lights in an attempt to pull over the Honda.
The suspect fled from police at high speed and collided with another vehicle in the 6800 block of Highland Park Way SW. The other car was driven by an adult male. The officers attempted to provide life-saving aid to both drivers of the two vehicles and called for Seattle Fire Department medics. Unfortunately, both drivers died at the scene.
Detectives from SPD’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad are processing the collision scene and have recovered a handgun from the carjacked vehicle. Robbery Unit detectives are also investigating the initial carjacking incident.
The department will review the incident and the pursuit following the completion of the investigation.
Update 4:19 PM:
As the Seattle Police Department continues to investigate an armed carjacking, pursuit, and fatal collision which killed two people Thursday morning in West Seattle, the department is releasing officers’ radio dispatches and dashcam video from the minutes preceding the crash.
At 10:52 PM Wednesday, police received a 911 report that three men had stolen a 2002 Honda Accord at gunpoint near 15th Avenue South and South State Street.
Three hours later, at 2:07 AM (where the following recording begins), an officer noticed the stolen Accord at 21st Avenue SW and SW Webster Street and followed it as she requested backup patrol units, a K9 team and the King County Guardian One helicopter, which was unavailable at the time.
The 16-year-old male driver of the stolen vehicle led pursuing officers through West Seattle to Highland Park Drive SW, where it appears he crossed over the center line and struck a westbound 1996 Acura Integra. The 21-year-old driver and a dog inside the Acura, and the 16-year-old driver of the stolen Honda, all died from injuries sustained in the crash.
“The collision that took the lives of two people this morning is devastating to the families of the deceased and the officers involved,” said SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole. “My thoughts and prayers are with them all. SPD is conducting a thorough investigation around the circumstances that led to this event.”
Detectives found a handgun in the Honda, but do not yet know what role the 16-year-old played in this morning’s carjacking.
The pursuit and fatal crash will be reviewed by the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad and Southwest Precinct commanders.