Police: Driver who fatally struck pedestrian had felony escape warrant for manslaughter



AUBURN, Wash. -- Police say a man with a felony escape warrant got spooked when a patrol car turned on its emergency lights. The driver then sped off, jumped a curb and crashed into a pair of pedestrians, killing one of them.

Auburn police say the officer was responding to a burglary in progress call late Wednesday night when the SUV took off. They say the officer was not pursuing the SUV and did not know why the driver sped off.

The SUV ran off the road about eleven blocks down the road in the 2500 block of Auburn Way S near the Muckleshoot Casino.

A woman on the sidewalk died at the scene. A second pedestrian was not seriously hurt.

The 35-year-old driver was ejected and later taken with unknown injuries to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Authorities discovered the suspect had a Department of Corrections felony escape warrant for failing to report. Two years ago, he was convicted of first-degree manslaughter.

Investigators remained at the scene overnight collecting evidence. Auburn Way South is back open.