Auburn woman hurt in alleged intoxicated driver crash
Published 11:22 am Monday, January 19, 2026
A Federal Way man faces vehicular assault charges following an early morning crash Jan. 17 that left an Auburn woman injured.
According to the Washington State Patrol, at 1:27 a.m. Jan. 17 on westbound State Route 18, just east of Auburn Black Diamond Road, a 22-year-old Federal Way man crashed into a 27-year-old Auburn woman, leaving her injured. WSP stated that the cause was driving under the influence, and the Federal Way man faces vehicular assault charges.
According to the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention jail lookup portal, the Federal Way man was booked into the King County Correctional Facility and is under a vehicular assault investigation, and has since been released from jail without bail. According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the suspect was released because the investigation is ongoing, but if they receive a case referral, they will review it for a charging decision.
According to state patrol, the Federal Way man was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of SR 18 in lane two of two, and the Auburn woman was traveling westbound in the westbound lanes of SR 18 in lane one of two. The Federal Way man then struck the Auburn woman, and the Federal Way man’s vehicle came to rest in lane one, and the Auburn woman’s vehicle came to rest in lane two. The roadway was blocked for four hours and 35 minutes.
The Auburn woman was reported as wearing her seatbelt, injured and transported to Harborview Medical Center. The Federal Way man was reported as not wearing his seatbelt, injured and evaluated at the scene.
According to probable cause documents, the Auburn woman suffered a femur injury, and she was conscious and alert. Additionally, her bone was broken and exposed, and an officer applied a tourniquet.
Documents state that both involved vehicles had extensive front-end damage and were disabled.
A driver of a tractor-trailer witnessed the collision and said that the Auburn woman’s vehicle was traveling westbound when the Federal Way man’s vehicle came the wrong way and struck the Auburn woman’s vehicle. The tractor-trailer driver said that he observed the Federal Way man exit his vehicle after the crash.
An officer at the scene contacted the Federal Way man, who said he was heading home from his job in Maple Valley. When asked when he left work, he stated he left at 9:30 p.m., and when asked what time he thought it was, he said 11 p.m., despite it being nearly 2 a.m.
The Federal Way man was described as flushed, with bloodshot, watery eyes and a tired appearance. He was also described as having slurred speech, having problems answering simple questions and smelling of intoxicants. When asked if he had consumed alcohol, he said that he had three beers around 9:30 p.m.
The Federal Way man participated in sobriety tests and indicated signs of intoxication, including an inability to walk straight or stay balanced. He also took a preliminary breath test and had a result of .208. A judge subsequently approved a blood test, and it was executed.
