Woman, 19, killed in overnight hit-and-run wreck in University Place, deputies say
A 19-year-old woman is dead and a 17-year-old male is being investigated as a possible suspect after an overnight hit-and-run wreck in University Place, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
The department posted information about the crash on social media.
About 1 a.m. Sunday, investigators were dispatched to a two-vehicle collision in the 6700 block of 35th Street West in University Place.
A Pierce County Sheriff’s Department deputy, who was already in the area, arrived first to find the woman. She died at the scene in a heavily damaged blue Mazda 3.
A block east the deputy also located a heavily damaged, silver-colored Cadillac STS that was unoccupied. But inside the Cadillac the deputy found one black shoe and evidence the driver may have been injured before fleeing the scene.
Neighbors in the area reported hearing the crash and seeing other vehicles stop, then heard yelling “about getting out of there.”
After the registered owner of the Cadillac was contacted, the owner told deputies their son was injured at an area hospital. Once at the hospital, deputies say the suspected driver had a shoe that matched the other shoe.
Deputies then obtained a search warrant to draw blood to determine whether the 17-year-old was driving under the influence.
Sgt. Darren Moss Jr., a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, thought the 17-year-old was still recovering at the hospital, he said late Sunday. He wasn’t sure whether the teen had been taken into custody.
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 6:33 PM.
