Grandmother of four dead after head-on collision with driver trying to escape police

Olympia, Wash. — Shock and grief after a 70-year-old grandmother was killed by a driver trying to get away from police. Her family shares memories of a woman who had just arrived in Washington state to visit family.

The fatal crash happened on Pacific Avenue Southeast in Olympia just before 5 o’clock Saturday night.

The Thurston County Sheriff says a 33-year-old Seattle woman driving a stolen car refused to pull over and struck an innocent vehicle head on.

As you might guess, they are devastated but they are angry, too. Their mother came here to visit her sister, see her new nephew.

They were driving here along Pacific Avenue Southeast when a car came barreling head-on toward them with terrible consequences.

“It’s really upsetting, why that person is out on the streets is very surprising to say the least, said Greg Munna.”

It is easy to hear the anger in Greg Munna’s voice, just hours after his 70-year-old mother, newly arrived in Olympia to celebrate her last surviving sister’s birthday, killed by a Seattle driver with a long rap sheet, while fleeing local police.

“Like what are we going to do about changing the policies about to make sure that criminals, known criminals are behind bars,” he asked “and can’t impact the lives of innocent people?”

The driver, identified by Washington State Patrol, as 33-year-old Nicole Romanoff, was initially accused of approaching residents in East Lacey, asking for fentanyl.

When a resident asked her to leave, Romanoff allegedly accelerated toward him, forcing him to run to safety. Thurston County Deputies figured out the SUV was stolen out of King County. Then a deputy spotted Romanoff driving the wrong way on Pacific Avenue Southeast in Olympia.

Bruce Clark had just turned from Fones Road Southeast onto Pacific.

“And I didn’t get very far before this big car just came barreling, crossed the line,” said Clark. “I thought it was like trying to turn left in front of traffic to go into the Taco Time or whatever it is on the corner. But no, it straightened up and plowed right into us, head on.”

He and his wife both suffered broken vertebrae; three of his wife’s ribs are broken, too.  His sister-in-law succumbed to her injuries. Romanoff appeared barely hurt.

“Apparently she wasn’t injured too much,” he said, anger in his voice.

But she has left a path of misery, accused of killing a loving wife, mother of two, grandmother of four.

“It’s a pretty crushing blow, very hard news,” said Greg Munna. “It’s just really tough to hear.”

The Thurston County coroner says Gina’s autopsy will be performed Tuesday.

As for Nicole Romanoff, she has one of the longest rap sheets I have ever seen. She has been arrested in King, Snohomish, Pierce and Thurston counties.

Now she is being held in the Thurston County jail for investigation on eight charges, including vehicular homicide and second-degree murder.  She should make her first court appearance Monday.

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