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Man arrested in fatal hit-and-run near White Center

The sheriff's office said the suspect driver told deputies he took the car to Port Orchard and parked it under a tarp at a family member's home after the incident.

WHITE CENTER, Wash. — A man was arrested Thursday in a fatal hit-and-run that killed an 81-year-old man in White Center.

The 37-year-old suspect driver was arrested during a traffic stop as he was leaving a home in the Puyallup area.

Thomas Joseph Garrett of Seattle was struck and killed April 22 just after 10 p.m. while crossing Southwest Roxbury Street at 15th Avenue Southwest.

The suspect vehicle, identified as a silver Jeep Compass, fled the scene.

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King County Sheriff’s Office deputies canvassed the area for information about the incident and identified the car’s license plate and a view of the driver.

The man was booked into the King County jail after his arrest.

The driver admitted to deputies that he moved the Jeep to Port Orchard after the incident and parked it under a tarp at a family member’s home, according to the sheriff's office.

Detectives recovered the Jeep and brought it to King County for evidence and processing.

Several people who live near the site of the fatal crash called the intersection a “dangerous” spot and said they have seen people driving fast while pedestrians cross the street without looking.

In King County alone, there were 152 fatalities on the road in 2022 and 172 last year, according to WSDOT crash data.

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