The King County Prosecutor has charged with second-degree murder the driver of an SUV who allegedly struck and killed a woman walking near the Muckleshoot Casino on March 2.
According to Auburn Police, Russell Ward, a wanted felon, lost control of his vehicle, left the road in the 2500 block of Auburn Way South and hit Reachella Partman, 44, who was walking on a sidewalk. Partman died at the scene.
According to police, the SUV then flipped over and landed on another vehicle in the casino’s parking lot, ejecting Ward, whom emergency personnel transported to a hospital with undisclosed injuries.
Later investigation showed Ward had taken the vehicle from a friend without permission earlier that day.
Ward was wanted for felony escape after failing to report to his community supervision office on Feb. 23.
Here is what happened according to court documents.
At 11:42 p.m. an Auburn officer was in the 3600 block of Auburn Way South when he received a burglary-in-progress call in north Auburn. The officer activated his emergency lights and proceeded west on Auburn Way South.
The SUV was in front of the responding officer on its way to the Muckleshoot Casino when the officer activated his lights, but Ward did not yield to the officer and move to the right. According to police, Ward instead took off, accelerating to a rate of speed that reached 98 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone, westbound on Auburn Way South. Trying to pass a slower moving car, court documents say, Ward lost control of his vehicle, flew off the road to the right, hit the curb, flipped over a sidewalk and planting strip and smashed into a car in the parking lot, ejecting him. Partman, who had been walking on the sidewalk, was struck and killed.
According to court documents, Police approached Ward, who was lying next to a pole, and he allegedly told them he had been a pedestrian hit by a car.
Ward had a warrant out for his arrest for violating his probation in a first-degree manslaughter case and a warrant for failing to appear for an assault sentencing hearing. Toxicology results are pending.
The officer did not speed up to chase the vehicle, police said.
