ARLINGTON — An Arlington man allegedly was speeding up to 100 mph before his car struck a tree in Arlington Heights in February, killing a passenger.
Snohomish County sheriff’s collision detectives recently forwarded their investigation to county prosecutors for review. Detectives have recommended a vehicular homicide charge for the man, who turned 20 in August. Killed was Nicole A. Wiebe, 18, of Stanwood. She had been sitting in the backseat.
The crash was caused by excessive speed, and no drugs or alcohol were involved, police determined.
The crash happened at 11:38 a.m. Feb. 16 along 240th Street NE, east of Arlington. The driver was trying to “get air off one of the rolling roadway hills,” detectives wrote in case records. The young man reportedly told police he thought the speed limit in the area was about 40 mph.
All three young people in the car were wearing their seatbelts when the driver lost control of the car, a black Lexus.
The Lexus went through three fences before striking a fir tree. It snapped the tree off at the base, then broke through another fence and came to rest in a field.
Wiebe died at the scene. The driver and another passenger, also a young man from Arlington, were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
Vehicular homicide is a felony under state law, most often applied in drunken-driving fatalities. The driver in the Arlington-area crash has no serious criminal history in Washington. The Herald is not naming him because no charges have been filed.
The detectives’ findings and charging recommendation were obtained through a public records request.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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