Man charged in wreck that killed passenger

Published 11:14 pm Thursday, November 29, 2007

A Lynnwood man who allegedly crashed a stolen car while fleeing from police was charged Thursday in connection with the death of his girlfriend, who had been a passenger in the vehicle.

Kristofer Ryan Decker, 20, was charged in Snohomish County Superior Court with vehicular homicide and attempting to elude a pursuing police car. He was being held on $50,000 bail.

Harmony Thornton, 27, of Lake Stevens died in a hospital after the crash Feb. 22 near 132nd Street SW and Fourth Avenue W. She had been riding with Decker when he took off at high speed on a busy road, according to charging papers.

A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy spotted a suspected stolen Honda on 128th Street SW and activated his emergency lights at a stoplight. The car sped away.

The deputy halted the pursuit because he had an Explorer Scout passenger, but the Honda continued around a curve at high speed, deputy prosecutor Ed Stemler said in court documents.

The deputy saw the Honda smash into an oncoming vehicle, Stemler said.

Witnesses estimated the speed of the Honda at between 50 and 60 mph, Stemler said.

Decker told officers that he didn’t know the car had been reported stolen. He has numerous driving offenses and didn’t have a valid license or liability insurance at the time of the crash, Stemler said.