Police seek witnesses to fatal crash
Published 10:01 pm Tuesday, September 18, 2007
LYNNWOOD — Washington State Patrol detectives want to hear from anyone who witnessed police trying to stop a habitual traffic offender Saturday evening. The incident ended when the man’s car rolled off the road.
Kelly D. Reagan, 41, of Lynnwood, died after crashing his car on Ash Way, according to the Washington State Patrol.
In the past 20 years, police have pulled Reagan over more than 50 times, including five times this year alone, court records show. He had at least four felony convictions and more than 40 misdemeanor convictions.
“Should he have been behind the wheel? No, for a litany of reasons,” said Sgt. Jerry Cooper, a State Patrol spokesman.
Reagan’s license was suspended and police believe alcohol was a factor in Saturday’s crash, he said.
On Saturday night around 9 p.m., troopers had tried to stop a white Ford Explorer that was first spotted driving “very erratically” on I-5 in Marysville, Cooper said.
A person had called 911 to report the vehicle was driving dangerously. The caller suspected the driver of being drunk, Cooper said.
Despite efforts to stop the SUV on I-5, the car left the freeway at 164th Street SW in Lynnwood. At the intersection of 164th Street SW and Ash Way, a trooper walked up to the driver’s door and asked Reagan, the driver, to get out, Cooper said.
Instead, the SUV sped away from the intersection. Witnesses told troopers the SUV turned onto Ash Way, he said.
Troopers found Reagan in the snarled wreckage of his smashed vehicle, Cooper said.
The SUV had rolled off the road.
Reagan was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he died, Cooper said.
Now police are looking for more information about the incident and hope additional witnesses will come forward.
“People see different things and it’s just additional information we want,” Cooper said. “We’re not looking for anything specific.”
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
@2. Breakout Header:You can help
Anyone who witnessed state troopers chasing a white Ford Explorer on Saturday night or saw the vehicle crash is asked to call Sgt. Jerry Cooper at 360-805-1192 or detective Bob Schroeder at 360-805-1194.
