Marysville man accused in hit-and-run that seriously injured teacher

MARYSVILLE — A Marysville man is accused of a hit-and-run crash last year that left a teacher in critical care.

The teacher was struck by a Dodge Journey while jogging the morning of Dec. 22 along 83rd Avenue NE. She was thrown into a ditch from the impact.

“She sat up and looked up the road and saw the car pull over and stop but no one got out and it drove off,” according to public records.

The teacher, 53, suffered broken bones and organ damage in addition to cuts and bruises, public records show. At the hospital, she had to use a medical device designed to prevent her lungs from collapsing.

For months, Marysville police did not release information about the crash while their investigation was ongoing. They wrapped up their reports last week. The case was forwarded to Snohomish County prosecutors for review as a potential injury hit-and-run, a felony under state law.

The Herald obtained the police reports through a public records request. The newspaper is not naming the accused driver, 25, as he has not been charged with a crime in the crash. He’s been charged with a hit-and-run before, records show.

In this case, the police department at first didn’t know what kind of car was involved. They had only a vague description.

A Marysville police officer found the vehicle’s passenger side mirror and a windshield wiper blade at the scene. Investigators searched town for any car missing a side mirror. They used the serial number from the recovered mirror to confer with area dealerships and figure out what kind of vehicle it came from, a Dodge Journey. They made a list of all the Dodge Journeys registered in Marysville. One by one, the cars were ruled out.

In early February, the police department got an anonymous phone call giving the name of the Marysville man. The caller had information about the crash — including the detail of the missing mirror — that hadn’t been provided to the media or otherwise made public, records show.

The man reportedly had ordered a new mirror online and done the repairs himself.

Police believe he did it that way to avoid detection.

The suspect’s driving has landed him in trouble before, court records show.

A case from 2008, involving driving without a license, was dismissed. The year before, he was charged with hit-and-run and found guilty of reckless driving. Between 2009 and 2010, he underwent treatment for alcohol abuse under a court order.

After the tip came in February, police found the Dodge in Marysville and impounded it as potential evidence.

The Dodge’s front bumper was damaged, there was a dent in the hood, and the windshield was cracked. The material that had been used to mount the passenger side mirror was a different hue of gray from the material on the driver side mirror, police wrote.

In an interview earlier this year, the man reportedly told investigators that he’d kept the car in Lake Stevens until he could fix the mirror.

The man’s driver’s license lists an address in Arlington, but the reports say he has been living in Marysville, about a third of a mile from the crash scene.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Bodies of two men recovered after falling into Eagle Falls near Index

Two men fell into the falls and did not resurface Saturday, authorities said. After a recovery effort, two bodies were found.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.