Suspect in Tacoma hit-and-run that left a woman with a brain injury turns himself in
A driver suspected in a hit-and-run that seriously injured a woman in Tacoma earlier this month has turned himself in, according to court records.
Tacoma police put out a description of the suspect vehicle and driver following the Aug. 16 crash.
The 21-year-old suspect came forward Friday.
He pleaded not guilty at arraignment Monday to vehicular assault and failure to remain at the scene of an accident. He was released on his own recognizance.
Charging papers give this account of what happened:
Police responded to the hit-and-run shortly after 5 p.m. in the 7000 block of Pacific Avenue.
A witness who was stopped at a red light told police the woman was crossing the street in front of stopped vehicles when the green Honda sped past at 50 or 60 miles per hour and hit her.
The woman “was thrown approximately 5-6 feet into the air, bounced off the windshield, and fell to the ground,” the declaration for determination of probable cause states.
The suspect driver stopped for a moment, then drove off.
An officer who went to the hospital saw that the victim was intubated and that her left ear was partially severed.
“Medical staff reported that (the victim) suffered a broken jaw and brain bleed, but was expected to survive,” the probable cause statement says.
This story was originally published August 27, 2019 at 11:03 AM.
