MILL CREEK — A man who crashed and died while fleeing from Mill Creek police last year was driving 85 mph, according to new records.
Data pulled from the man’s car showed it traveling at that speed just six seconds before hitting a tree. David Mordi, 24, of Snohomish, was ejected through the rear window. He landed in the roadway, and the pursuing officer was unable to stop in time to avoid running him over.
Earlier this year, Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Roe determined the officer acted lawfully that night. Roe reviews all cases where police use potentially fatal force. In recent years, those reviews have included some deadly crashes, including pursuits.
“It is clear that the death did not result from actions the officer took, but decisions Mr. Mordi made,” Roe wrote detectives. “Nonetheless, he had just turned 24 years of age, and his death on that dark road that night is very sad.”
The Daily Herald recently obtained the letter and other documents about the case through a public records request.
The officer attempted to pull over Mordi for speeding around 11 p.m. July 15, 2017. Mordi reportedly was going 42 mph in a 25 mph stretch of Mill Creek Boulevard. The officer made a U-turn and attempted to catch up.
Mordi crashed about a half-mile away, in the 1900 block of Village Green Drive.
An autopsy later showed heroin in his system, as well as antihistamines known to cause drowsiness. The injuries from the wreck would have been fatal on their own but were compounded by being run over, records show.
The incident was investigated by the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team, or SMART, which is a task force of detectives drawn from around the county.
The city of Mill Creek was awaiting the team’s findings before conducting an internal review, spokeswoman Joni Kirk said. The review board last week determined that the officer had not violated any police department policies.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rikkiking.
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