Driver of sedan accused of vehicular homicide in deadly Seattle bus crash
SEATTLE - A driver in a sedan is in custody after this weekend's deadly Metro bus crash in Seattle, police said.
On Oct. 4, officers responded to a report of a crash involving a red sedan and King County Metro Bus at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Battery Street.
When crews arrived, they saw a bus had crashed into a building along with a red sedan.
The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) said there were 13 victims; one person had died, one was in critical condition while an additional 11 people suffered less severe injuries.
Witness Mike Pulup described emergency workers pulling a male driver from the red vehicle.
"They were in a hurry," he said. "Right away they had the jaws of life to open the top of the car."
Seattle police said the man driving the red sedan was headed southbound on 5th Avenue when he collided with the bus traveling eastbound on Battery Street. The collision forced the bus off the roadway, where it struck and killed a woman on the sidewalk.
A drug recognition expert from the police department evaluated the driver of the sedan for any signs of impairment, police said.
On Monday, Seattle police said during an investigation, detectives found evidence of possible drug usage in the car. A blood warrant was obtained to assist with the DUI investigation.
The driver, a 31-year-old man, is now in custody for vehicular homicide. He will be booked into the King County Jail, once medically cleared.
There was initial concern about the building, and whether it would be structurally sound, and SFD crews later determined that the building was structurally okay, and not a threat to people in the area.
"There was some vibration and then there was screaming," said Fulup.
Cell phone video from the scene shows people helping people off the bus shortly after the crash.
King County Metro released the following statement:
"This tragic incident involving a vehicle and one of our buses is heartbreaking. Our primary concern is with the loss of life and the health of those who were injured."
The statement went onto read that it could not offer further details at this point in the investigation but is working with first responders and offering support to community members, employees, and riders.
One of the bus passengers is represented by Chris Davis, principle attorney at Davis Law Group Seattle.
"He was traumatized. He spent several hours at the emergency room receiving trauma and bruising treatment to his head and face. I think he lost a couple of teeth. It’s still unclear as to how serious his injuries are going to be," said Davis.
Davis told FOX 13 that his law office is looking for witnesses of the crash to reach out to them via email at tips@davislawgroupseattle.com.
Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation unit are looking into the incident.