Deputies say an innocent driver was killed when a man driving erratically – with a baby boy in the car – crashed.
A deputy chase was shortly underway for the man, but it was called off minutes before the collision.
Key developments:
- The head-on crash happened on Issaquah Hobart Road.
- Crash happened after deputy tried to make traffic stop
- The suspect was booked into jail
- Investigators say Delmar Young caused the deadly crash
- A child less than a year old did not appear injured
The head-on crash happened east of Renton in the Mirrormont/Hobart area on Issaquah Hobart Road.
Investigators say a King County deputy was heading to work on Highway 18 at about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday when he saw a black Kia weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed.
The deputy, who was in a fully marked patrol car, tried to make a traffic stop, but the driver did not pull over and a short chase began.
"When he turned the lights on, the car made no indication it was going to pull over and stop, it just kept weaving in and out of traffic, so that initiated a short pursuit," said Sgt. Jason Houck with the King County Sheriff's Office.
The deputy then stopped the pursuit for safety concerns after about a minute and the suspect exited at Issaquah Hobart Road.
1st look at vehicles; fam of vic notified. Black car w/ crushed front end is suspect vehicle. @KIRO7Seattle at 12. pic.twitter.com/pHeUngbgz8
— Joanna Small (@JoannaKIRO7) June 7, 2016
Other deputies who had headed that way to assist were heading back to their districts when they came upon the crash about five minutes later.
They were not pursuing the suspect and did not witness the crash.
When the officers arrived, the suspect driver, 27-year-old Delmar Young from Tacoma, was still in the Kia.
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He had crashed head-on into an SUV. As officers tried to pull Young out of the car, he fought with them and had to be subdued with a stun gun before being taken into custody.
He had only minor injuries but was taken to Valley Medical Center to be evaluated.
A child less than a year old, who was in a car seat in the back of the suspect's car, did not appear to be hurt but is being evaluated at the hospital.
Suspect driver has minor injuries & had infant in car seat, uninjured. Driver killed is 53 yo Maple Valley man. @KIRO7Seattle at noon.
— Joanna Small (@JoannaKIRO7) June 7, 2016
The driver of the other vehicle that was heading northbound, a 53-year-old Maple Valley man, was alive when medics arrived, but died at the scene.
"He was alive when they arrived, and fire crews did their best to try to save him, and unfortunately, they were unable to," said Houck.
Young was arrested on charges of eluding. He will likely be charged with vehicular homicide. Issaquah Hobart Road was closed for hours while police investigated.
Cox Media Group
