MONROE — A 17-year-old Sultan girl was killed Thursday night in a high-speed crash on U.S. 2 just east of Monroe.
The driver, 18, was booked early Friday morning into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of vehicular homicide and assault. Detectives are investigating whether the teen was under the influence of drugs, Washington State Patrol trooper Mark Francis said.
Troopers suspect that he was speeding before the car veered off the highway and flipped. Preliminary reports indicate that the teen may have been driving 100 mph, Francis said.
Three other teenagers, including the deceased girl’s sister, also were riding in the car. The girls, ages 14 to 17, sustained minor to serious injuries and were expected to survive, Francis said.
Sultan High School officials on Friday were waiting for official confirmation of the crash victim’s identity. “This morning we received the unfortunate news that some of our students were involved in a very serious car accident last night,” principal Tami Nesting wrote in a letter to parents.
The school provided extra counselors, and parents also stopped by the school to assist students. Nesting encouraged parents to reach out to the school if they were concerned about their children’s reactions to the death.
“We’re pulling together,” she said.
The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on eastbound U.S. 2 near Sofie Road, about two miles east of Monroe. The driver lost control of the Volkswagen Jetta. The car vaulted off the highway and “tumbled end over end and then rolled,” Francis said. At least three of the passengers were ejected from the car. The 17-year-old girl died at the scene.
The driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to Evergreen Hospital before he was booked into jail.
The man, who turned 18 last month, has had legal troubles dating back to 2012. He was charged in juvenile court in March with assaulting his mother. In April, his attorney reported to the court that the teen was living with his grandparents in Eastern Washington. The attorney wrote that he was working, going to school and doing well since leaving his home in Snohomish County.
The teen was back in Sultan last month and appeared in court on Oct. 19, when he pleaded not guilty to the assault charge.
A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy used an electric stun gun to subdue the teen last year during an assault investigation. Relatives reported that the drunken teen threatened them with a knife. He also allegedly cut his own wrists, according to court documents. He struggled with deputies who tried to examine his wrists. The charge was dismissed after prosecutors said they didn’t believe that they could prove that the teen assaulted anyone.
In 2012 the teen completed the juvenile court’s diversion program, and a trespassing charge was dropped. He was accused of refusing to leave Sultan Middle School. He’d been suspended from the school for intimidating school staff.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
