BURIEN, Wash. — Authorities are searching for a suspect who was involved in a serious crash in Burien that killed a man and injured a child on Sunday morning.
The suspect was fleeing from deputies in a stolen vehicle, according to the King County Sheriff's Office.
King County Sheriff's Office deputy Mike Mellis said the incident began when deputies spotted a stolen vehicle at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in the Sunset Park area.
Mellis said the suspect noticed law enforcement following him and took off at a high speed.
Deputies did not initiate a pursuit but followed the direction the suspect fled.
"Before we had a chance to make a traffic stop, or even turn on our lights or sirens, he took off in a high rate of speed in an obvious attempt to just get away from the cops," Mellis said. "Our deputies are in marked cars, so they followed him and continued to plan what were they gonna do, make a traffic stop.”
"[Deputies] continued down the path following behind this vehicle, to see where he would go. They told their partners on the radio what had happened, that they’re not pursuing.”
Minutes later, a witness called 911 to report a devastating car crash.
Deputies arrived to find a two-vehicle crash involving the stolen truck in the 2200 block of 128th Street in Burien.
"It was such a powerful impact, that from the center or portion of that intersection, the victim vehicle ended up all the way into a front yard," Mellis said.
Mellis said the suspect fled the scene of the crash on foot.
The man driving the Jeep was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The child was significantly injured and was tended to by deputies and medical personnel.
The speed limit in the quiet residential neighborhood is just 25 miles per hour, but the wreckage indicates that high speeds played a part in this crash.
Mellis said the injured child was "at some point using either a booster seat or a car seat."
Mellis said high winds and the proximity to the airport became an issue during their search for the suspect because it was too dangerous to use their helicopter to search for him.
"They’ve spent hours now attempting to find and locate that guy and identify him," Mellis said.
While the manhunt continued into the evening, the cars were towed. But the impacts on two people and their loved ones will last forever.
That is why deputies are asking for your help. If you live anywhere near Sunset Park in Seatac, and if you see a man hiding in a backyard, a side yard, or a shed, you are asked to call 911 immediately.
The King County Sheriff's Office said they have reason to believe the suspect is either white or Hispanic, and was last seen wearing tan pants and a dark top.
In the meantime, neighbors shared their shock with KING 5.
"I saw the car accident," a woman who did want to be identified said. "I put two and two together, and I realized, 'Okay, something is not right here.'"
The woman said she was in disbelief.
"You could see the fear in his face and his expression," the woman said. "And more importantly in his voice. So it was really scary."
The neighbor described her encounter with the man involved in Sunday's crash. She said he saw him trying to hide in a shed in her backyard before he hopped her fence and ran away."
"He just screamed, 'I'm trying to go home,'" she said. "But that still felt suspicious because I know my neighbors and I don't identify him as one of them. So automatically that's when I called 911."
The neighbor didn't want to be shown on camera due to safety reasons, but she wanted to share a message with those impacted.
"I really do hope that the family can get some justice," she said. "I think it's really unfortunate the news they're about to receive so really do hope there's some level of remorse from him and he turns himself in."
Mellis said the search for the suspect is currently ongoing.
The Washington State Patrol is investigating the crash.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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