MARYSVILLE — Police in Marysville are investigating whether street racing might have led to a fatal one-car crash early Tuesday morning.
A Snohomish County man believed to be in his late teens or early 20s died after the blue Honda Civic he was driving ran into a utility pole in the 14100 block of Smokey Point Boulevard, Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said.
The accident was reported around 12:20 a.m.
The driver died at the scene shortly after police arrived.
“We are looking for a second vehicle that is likely involved in racing this vehicle,” Lamoureux said.
Release of the man’s identity is pending identification by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner and notification of his family. His age and hometown were not immediately available.
The police department’s Collision Investigation Team was working Tuesday to determine what caused the wreck. They also were talking with local businesses that might have security camera video near the crash site.
The road, a stretch of Old Highway 99, was closed for several hours. The arterial near I-5 includes two northbound and two southbound lanes.
The driver was the only one in the car at the time of the crash. A medical crew needed to use hydraulic cutters to remove the man from the crumpled vehicle, said Tom Maloney, Marysville’s fire marshal.
Police were told the crash may have been the result of the early 1990s Honda Civic racing with a dark-colored small passenger car, Lamoureux said.
A 911 caller reported two vehicles race by heading northbound well above the speed limit. When the driver came around a corner, the Honda had crashed into the pole and the other car was gone.
The second car went by so fast the witness didn’t get a good description of it, Lamoureux said.
“We are looking to talk with anyone who may have observed any racing or who has any other information to share that will assist us in determining the cause of this collision,” Lamoureux said.
Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 360-363-8350.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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