MARYSVILLE — Police have identified a hit-and-run crash suspect accused of fleeing a collision that sent four people to hospitals earlier this month.
Zachary Kier, 27, is under investigation by Marysville police for allegations of vehicular assault, felony hit and run, attempting to elude a police officer and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. He’s also wanted by the state Department of Corrections for probation violations.
Police allege the Seattle man is responsible for an early morning crash Aug. 3 in the 11400 block of Quil Ceda Boulevard, north of Seattle Premium Outlets.
Shortly before the crash, a Marysville police officer saw a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven recklessly while southbound on Smokey Point Boulevard in city limits.
The officer believed the driver was impaired and tried to make a traffic stop. The Jeep turned onto 116th Street NE, which crosses I-5 and connects to the Tulalip Reservation. It went through a roundabout in the wrong direction and struck a passenger vehicle head on, according to police reports.
Zachary Kier
The crash left a man and woman, both 71, with injuries. They were driving home to Stanwood. The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with what were described as serious injuries. She was still in the hospital this week. The man was treated at a local hospital and released.
Also injured were two passengers in the Jeep. A Snohomish County man, 34, was in the back seat and suffered life-threatening injuries. He was in intensive care Friday at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. And a 35-year-old woman, who was in the front seat, was treated at a local hospital and released.
The pursuit lasted about two minutes. The officer was several hundred yards behind when the crash occurred, said Cmdr. Mark Thomas of the Marysville Police Department.
Police were told that the people inside the Jeep were urging the driver to stop, Thomas said.
The driver ran into nearby woods after the crash. A police dog and a drone were used in an unsuccessful search for the driver.
On Friday, police issued a news release identifying Kier as the suspect. Calls with information about his whereabouts can be made to 911.
Anyone with information related to the crash investigation is asked to call 360-363-8300.
A reward of $1,000 is possible for information leading to an arrest through Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound. That number is 1-800-222-8477. Tips also can be shared through P3Tips.com. It is anonymous.
Court records indicate that Kier has previous criminal convictions, most recently in Kittitas County for DUI, theft of a motor vehicle and possessing a stolen vehicle.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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