Here is what Bellevue Chief of Police Steve Mylett had to say Thursday about the arrest of Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman:
- The incident occurred at approximately 6:20 p.m. Wednesday evening in the 13600 block of SE 36th street in Bellevue.
- It was a two-car accident, in which Coleman’s Dodge Ram pickup allegedly rear-ended a Honda Civic. The collision caused the Honda to end up upside down and the Dodge to end up on its side.
- Witnesses say Coleman’s vehicle was going at a high rate of speed. The speed limit on the street is 35 mph.
- The driver of the Civic was injured and taken to Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
- Coleman was found by the police standing along the road two blocks away. Coleman was cooperative as he was contacted and detained by police, then was positively identified by three witnesses when he was brought back to the scene. Mylett did not know why Coleman left the scene but hopes to obtain that information on further questioning.
- Coleman was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault and hit-and-run, both felonies.
- A K-9 unit was able to follow the scent from inside Coleman’s car to the spot where Coleman had been sitting in a police vehicle two blocks away.
- A drug recognition expert was brought in based on evidence from the scene. Coleman was taken to a hospital, believed to be Overlake, and had a blood sample taken to determine whether alcohol or drugs were involved. There was no information about test results.
- The investigation is ongoing and could take several weeks. The Bellevue Police Department is seeking a search warrant for Coleman’s vehicle to collect further evidence.
- Coleman is believed to still be in custody at the King County Jail in Seattle. King County’s website still has no indication that Coleman has been released.
Coleman’s agents, Derrick Fox and Mark Bloom, issued the following statement earlier in the day:
“On the evening of October 15, 2015, Seattle Seahawk Fullback Derrick Coleman Jr. was involved in a two-car collision soon after leaving a team meeting. While the facts of the case are still being determined, it seems Derrick may have fallen asleep while driving home from a Seahawks’ facility.
“The health and well-being of all involved is our primary concern, and we are thankful to report that both parties are expected to make a full recovery. We will continue to work closely with the local officials while a full investigation is being conducted.”
Coleman has been suspended indefinitely by the Seahawks, opening a spot on Seattle’s 53-man roster, so the Seahawks re-signed receiver B.J. Daniels on Thursday. Daniels was waived Tuesday as Seattle cleared roster space to sign cornerback Crezdon Butler and linebacker Nick Moody, then cleared the waiver process. Daniels had been considered a likely candidate to be re-signed to Seattle’s practice squad.
The Seahawks also signed linebackers Tyrell Adams and Eric Pinkins to their practice squad. Both Adams, an undrafted free agent out of West Georgia, and Pinkins, a sixth-round pick by Seattle in the 2014 draft, spent training camp and the preseason with Seattle before being cut just prior to the start of the season. Adams was signed to Kansas City’s practice squad after being cut by Seattle, but was then waived by the Chiefs on Tuesday. Pinkins was signed to the Seahawks’ practice squad before being released Sept. 22 to make room for cornerback George Farmer.
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