Covington man booked for vehicular homicide

KING COUNTY, Wash. — A Covington neighborhood is grieving after a man many people watched grow up turned himself into the King County Sheriff's Office.

He is suspected in a hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a bicyclist.

Turns out the suspect grew up about a mile away.

These markings are the only indication of the driver's effort to flee a deadly hit-and-run accident about a mile away.

According to neighbors, the driver came around this corner, making such a racket, some of them came outside to see what was going on. It does appear that there was a bicycle underneath the carriage of his vehicle.

He was able to free that bicycle in this area. Once he did, eyewitnesses say he took off.

"The car sped up," said neighbor Trevor Sawyer. "I heard him rap through the gears and do about 60 down our street."

Trevor Sawyer couldn't clearly see the driver.  But he could describe the vehicle.

"I said it was a tannish silver car," he said. "I guess that was the car he was driving at the time."

That car was found in the backyard where 31-year-old Kyle Landry grew up.

Sawyer went to school with Landry.

"He was a grade below me," he said. "I've known him pretty much my whole life."

"My kids grew up with him," said neighbor Sandy Evans. "And a bunch of kids played in the neighborhood together. So it's got some people kind of shook up."

Evans spoke across from Landry's home.

"We know that he's been troubled," she said. "But this is not good."

Nevertheless, she says she didn't expect this.

"No, no," she said.

Fifty-year-old Michael Russell was bicycling on Southeast Wax Road with a load of groceries Wednesday night. He was struck from behind. Good Samaritans tried to save him, but he died at the scene.

A neighbor reported to police where the hit-and-run vehicle might be.

Landry turned himself in Friday.

His neighbors are trying to reconcile the boy they watched grow up with the man now suspected of vehicular homicide.

"Yeah, I know him real good," said Mike Ladines, who took Landry and his son camping when they were young. "I feel bad for him, his family. I don't know the guy that was the bike rider. But my prayers are for his whole family. Terrible. Tragic."

Neighbors say they often saw the victim riding his bicycle around here, including on the day he died.

Landry was expected in court Saturday.

He remains in the King County jail.

The hit-and-run happened in the 18200 block of Southeast Wax Road at about 5:30 p.m Wednesday.

According to deputies, the man continued driving while dragging the bike.

The bicycle was found near the corner of 193rd Avenue and Southeast and Southeast 242nd Place.

Deputies said the bicyclist, a 50-year-old man, died while he was on the way for the airlift to Harborview Medical Center.

The bicyclist was identified as Michael Russell.

Cox Media Group