TACOMA, Wash. — The family of a woman who was found dead on a Tacoma roadway said they have learned she was hit and killed by a bus on Oct. 4.
Earlier this month, 32-year-old Brittanee Parker was found dead after she had taken her dog out in the morning near her apartment on South 11th Street.
"We have been just left in the dark this entire time,” said Luke Mann, Parker's cousin. “I really do feel like they just wanted it to be swept under the rug."
Mann said a Tacoma Police Department investigator told his family on Friday afternoon that a school bus driver hit Parker.
A spokesperson for Tacoma Public Schools said Monday none of their buses were not involved in the incident, nor was its contractor First Student.
According to Mann, the investigator said the bus driver told police they thought they had hit a dog while driving. The driver then told police they saw the dog walk away after the collision, so they kept on driving, Mann said.
A spokesperson for the Tacoma Police Department confirmed Wednesday a bus is being investigated as the cause of the crash, although the type of bus was not known. KING 5 initially requested confirmation from police on Friday.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Parker's identity, but her cause and manner of death are still pending as of Oct. 19.
Parker's family in California released a statement, thanking the Tacoma Police Department for their "diligent work" on the case. Her family is seeking legal counsel.
But Mann said questions remain.
Mann said he believes the Tacoma Police Department is not doing enough to hold accountable whoever is responsible.
"How many other people has this happened to that has been completely swept under the rug?” said Mann, calling for an investigation into the department and the school district.
Tacoma police said the investigating detective was on scene when the incident was reported and began the investigation "immediately." The police department said the case will be forwarded to the prosecutor's office for review. The driver is not in custody.
"Even if they thought they hit something," Mann said, "they should've stopped, period."
