Man killed, deputy hurt as chase ends in crash near Renton
RENTON, Wash. - A suspected drunk driver was killed and a King County sheriff's deputy was injured during a chase down Interstate 5 and through city streets that ended in a crash early Saturday morning.
The drama began just before 4 a.m. when Kent police asked for assistance in stopping the suspected drunk driver, who officers were pursuing south down I-5 after he failed to pull over, said Sgt. Cindi West of the King County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff’s deputies joined in the pursuit and chased the suspect south on Martin Luther King Way. During the pursuit the suspect rammed a deputy’s patrol car and then continued fleeing on Martin Luther King Way.
The suspect lost control at a turn in the road where Martin Luther King becomes Sunset Road. The man's vehicle went over a barrier and slammed into a tree.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not yet been identified, West said.
The deputy whose was car was hit was taken to Harborview with minor injuries. The deputy has since been released from the hospital and is in good condition.
The incident remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Accident Response and Reconstruction Unit, West said.
The drama began just before 4 a.m. when Kent police asked for assistance in stopping the suspected drunk driver, who officers were pursuing south down I-5 after he failed to pull over, said Sgt. Cindi West of the King County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff’s deputies joined in the pursuit and chased the suspect south on Martin Luther King Way. During the pursuit the suspect rammed a deputy’s patrol car and then continued fleeing on Martin Luther King Way.
The suspect lost control at a turn in the road where Martin Luther King becomes Sunset Road. The man's vehicle went over a barrier and slammed into a tree.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not yet been identified, West said.
The deputy whose was car was hit was taken to Harborview with minor injuries. The deputy has since been released from the hospital and is in good condition.
The incident remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Major Accident Response and Reconstruction Unit, West said.
What is it about Renton and idiots? Must be something in the water there, huh?
Not a loss...but it's a gain in relation to the society...
Was the "pursuit" worth it for a DUI?...
Was the "pursuit" worth it for "ramming a deputy"? Heck YES
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If you ram a deputy...You are not getting away.
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(And its not the cops fault, all he had to do was stop and pull-over...lets stop blaming the police for the suspects actions)
"suspected" drunk driver. not that i doubt it - but i guess not proven yet ?
Good morning my fellow trolls,
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Let's start this beautiful day asking yourself; was this police chase worth it?
Was the tree turning its life around also. Guess that would be turning over a new leaf or car. I've never seen a tree hit and run yet.
"The man's vehicle went over a barrier and slammed into a tree" Poor tree!
Come on people...if the deputy suspected a DUI driver, why the high speed chase ???
I thought they (deputies) were told to back off if the chase was dangerous...
 @clem77   You are the same person who would try to sue the police because they stopped chasing a suspecting drunk driver who then continued on and killed one of your family members. Oh yeah I am sure in your world it is OK to use his vehicle to ram police officers cars and cause injury also. As for chases each dept has their own rules.
Well at least he only took himself out. Sure wasn't a sad ending.
No great loss.
how did he end up in renton if he was going south on I 5 out of kent
@billibob: It took me a while to figure out what was going on too. The police were pushing him south on MLK Way and thought he would get on I-5, where Kent Police could help. But instead he kept on MLK Way were he bought it. By the way, MLK Way turns into Sunset Blvd. not Sunset Road. DUH! Can't anyone read maps there?
 @usnrbb Actually, from what I'm reading, Kent police was trailing them and asked for assistance. Too many inconsistencies in this story, I'm just really confused. And yeah, I think the Sunset "Road" kinda proved that. ;)
@Zoso @usnrbb maybe a Kent cop was heading south on I-5, and saw they guy, then followed him? who knows, this is Komo, they won't ask any questions, it's enough to expect them to get the Headline related to the article in a meaningful way.
 @usnrbb next time i will just turn my map around
@billibob: The "DUH! Can't anyone read maps there?" Was not aimed at you. Like I said the article was confusing. It was aimed at the source of the "Sunset Road v. Sunset Blvd." snafu. I just wanted you to know. ;-)
Anyone who drinks and drives is a fool. And anyone who witnesses someone drinking and getting behind the wheel without doing anything is just as much of a fool. I don't care who you are... if I saw someone drinking and getting behind the wheel, I'd IMMEDIATELY be on the phone to 911.
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IT'S NOT WORTH IT, PEOPLE.
 @Tattooed_Angel I call 9-1-1 every time I see a drunk on the roads - every single time. And if I can follow them safely I will, to let the dispatch know where they are. And I most definitely would call if I saw someone getting into a car drunk and they wouldn't let me stop them. Every one I can get, I will, to potentially save lives.
The tree deserves a medal.
 @saturn9 LOL! Good one! ;)
Hey thanks for saving us the trouble of putting you through a trial, hoping that you don't reoffend and then getting upset that you did. Drunk driving isn't a mistake or a lapse in judgement, it is a choice.
Woot hoot! One less drunk driver I should be worried about!  Good riddance!
With all the car crashes in the news lately. It just sickens me to see all these cars on the road, for sale by owners or dealerships. Seems just anyone with a little money or credit can get one of these rolling death traps. I think we should ban all cars, suv's and trucks. Please like if you agree. Â Oh wait.... Thats guns not cars. My bad. SorryÂ
@Alaska316 well, how bout we just ban the manufacture of them, and gas purcashes  to 10 liters then we could make people take training, and then register them.
 @Alaska316 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1jEMmYwOzI
@Alaska316 You had me until the last sentence......somebody is dead, a gun nothinhg to do with it and here you are.......
 @ALTemp  @Alaska316 Someone is dead. But least he took his own life and not anyone else's. I am sure he was a great guy. On the path of turning himself around.Â
@Alaska316 your a idiot with a little bit of moron!
 @nunof uors It's "you're" not "your" and "an" idiot not "a" idiot. I see @Alaska316 being sarcastic while I see YOU being the moron.Â
 @nunof uors  @Alaska316 I am the idiot? Lets see here. I wasn't the  one driving drunk putting peoples lives at risk. Let me guess. You're against guns, think everyone deserves another chance? Oh, and I am sure you voted for the Obama.Â
The tree always wins fool.
At least he won't do it again and nobody was critically hurt. I wish the deputy a speedy recovery and thanks to everyone involved for your efforts. I wouldn't want that job. Glad there are people out there who can get it done.
Sympathy to the first responders who have to look at the mess made by drunk drivers. If he had kids, then sympathy to them.
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At least this is the last time he will drive drunk.
To bad he didn't live and have the rest of his life living in pain, to remind him how stupid he is.Â
@Just my say Alcohol wins again.
 @Klondiko Explain to me how it won? Do we even know if this person has kids and now there is not a dad in there life? Did this guy have amazing life before hitting the bottle? How is it winning when people are in pain? Someone is heartbroken by this, how they win? Please do tell how this was winning? Or are you the type that feels you are the only perfect person and have never done anything wrong and this is how it has to be? Make sure there is nothing but pain and suffering going on because no one is like you? I do not mean to sound rude but I get so tried of seeing comments on here about people glad that this person died or glad this happen to this person. Everyone is so negative and not one is willing to do anything about changing it. Everyone wants to blame everyone or everything before they ever admit that they did nothing to help make a change.Â
@Just my say @Klondiko ....Cry me a river. People are getting burned out on drunk dirtbags, just like we're burned out on gang violence. We're slowly but surely headed back towards much more liberal use of the death penalty....and it's a good thing. These people don't need to be sucking up our precious air.
 @Common Sense A cripple dad is better than no dad, ask any child without a dad.Â
@Just my say LOL, you're comment was just as stupid and you're getting on him. Yeah, a kid needs a crippled dad instead of dead dad. wow that's so much better.
 @Just my say  @Klondiko What can anyone person âdo about itâ? Stop the drunk from driving? Fat chance!! ANYONE who drives drunk for any reason is saying he does not respect anyoneâs life. If they die driving drunk and only kill themselves, hurray.Â
at least no innocent (apart from the deputy) was hurt, like in the other pursuit ...
 @Komo Dragon But the drunk driver was innocent....he was a good person, turning his life around, whose friends and family believe would never be capable of doing such a thing like drinking and driving....why did the deputy have to chase him....
@todaysnews @Komo Dragon - I hope you're not serious??? There are many reasons the deputy chose to chase him, public safety over that of the drunk driver being the primary one. The better question is why the drunk driver chose not to stop when the blue lights appeared. The deputy was doing his or her job. That's why he or she gave chase. Driving drunk is not much different than putting a single bullet in a revolver, spinning the cylinder, pointing it into a crowd and pulling the trigger. chances are no one will get hurt. But, then, there is that sixth pull...
1\\2 @Powderhound  @Dave  @todaysnews The winners are the ones that are stiling alive!
 @Dave  @todaysnews  @Komo Just good sarcasm.
 @todaysnews  @Komo Dragon ROFL, your forgot, he is a smart person who did something dumb. Better yet blame a mood disorder.
 @todaysnews  @Komo DragonÂ
Turning his life around over a barrier and into a tree. Â Everyone stops drinking and driving eventually. Â