LACEY, Wash. — A driver fleeing law enforcement struck another car head-on, killing one person and injuring two others in Olympia on Saturday.
The incident began in East Lacey at around 4 p.m. on Saturday when 911 callers reported that the suspect, identified as a woman in her 30s, was approaching multiple people in a neighborhood and asking them for fentanyl, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO).
When one person asked the suspect to leave, the suspect, who was driving a truck, accelerated toward that person, causing them to flee. The suspect left the area.
A deputy who spoke with witnesses was able to identify the car the suspect was driving one that was stolen out of King County.
Another deputy later observed the suspect driving recklessly, swerving into oncoming lanes and passing other drivers in no-passing zones. The suspect refused to pull over for law enforcement so deputies initiated a vehicle pursuit. When the pursuit reached Olympia, the Olympia Police Department deployed spike strips to slow the suspect down. The suspect swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting another driver head-on.
A passenger in that vehicle, identified as Gina Munna, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. She later died. Two other people in the same car were injured.
After the crash, the suspect exited the vehicle and attempted to flee the scene on foot. She was arrested shortly after. The suspect was arrested on multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular assault, attempts to elude a police vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, felony hit-and-run, driving with a suspended license and second-degree assault.
TCSO discovered the woman had warrants out in Seattle, Issaquah and Renton, 23 total gross misdemeanor convictions, four felony convictions and 47 total arrests.
"It's really important that the law enforcement does their job on capturing these individuals, and then even more important for the judicial system to make sure that the courts really put them behind bars, especially if they're a repeat offender of 47 previous," said Greg Munna, the victim's son. "It just seems unnecessary that we have that type of a risk out in our communities and putting innocent lives at stake."
Gina Munna was married to her husband for 46 years and had two sons and four grandkids.
"My mom is the kind of person who brings the life to a party," Greg Munna said. "She's always one who wants to make sure that everybody who was involved in a in a get-together was included. She's the kind of person who wants to make sure that everybody's having an enjoyable time. So if she sees somebody who's kind of down, she's going to go over there and pick them right back up again."
Munna was visiting Olympia to see her sister, who was also severely injured in the accident.
The Washington State Patrol has taken over the investigation into the crash.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders extended his condolences to the victims and their families, saying, "Our thoughts are with those affected by this senseless tragedy. We are working closely with WSP to make sure all aspects of this incident are fully investigated."