He was doing ‘burnouts’ before his car hit 2 students outside Tacoma school, charges say
Two Tacoma high school students were hit by a reckless driver Thursday, with one of them suffering a broken leg, court records show.
The driver, 18, has been charged with two counts of vehicular assault. Not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf in Pierce County Superior Court on Friday afternoon. Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille ordered him released on his own recognizance pending trial.
Tacoma police said the incident occurred about 2:20 p.m. in front of Mount Tahoma High School, court records show. Witnesses told police that the driver was doing “burnouts” in the school parking lot just before his white Chrysler 300 hit the students on a nearby sidewalk, the records show. The driver initially ran off but returned and spoke with officers, according to Tacoma police spokesman and detective William Muse.
According to court documents, officers reported that the driver, whom they arrested, had bloodshot eyes and a burnt-marijuana smell was from coming from the car. Toxicology results are pending to determine if the man was impaired during the incident.
This story was originally published September 8, 2023 at 3:38 PM.
