PARKLAND, Wash. — The suspect in a fatal crash in Parkland was charged with eight criminal counts, including felony murder, on Wednesday morning.
The suspect, identified in court documents as Donald Wayne Rownan, 47, allegedly fled a traffic stop, running a red light and striking and killing another driver who was traveling through the intersection at Ainsworth Avenue and 112th Street South.
The 20-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rownan reportedly confessed to going between 75 and 80 miles per hour at the time of the collision, according to court documents. Following the crash, he attempted to flee the scene on foot before he was caught by a Pierce County deputy.
A drug recognition expert concluded that Rownan was likely under the influence of one or multiple substances when he allegedly fled from police.
Rownan was charged with second-degree murder, vehicular homicide, failure to remain at an accident resulting in death, vehicular assault, failure to remain at an injury incident, attempting to elude, escape from community custody and reckless driving. Court documents indicate charges related to drug paraphernalia discovered in the car may be added at a later time.
Rownan was under Department of Corrections supervision at the time of the crash but admitted to police that he committed multiple violations of his community custody agreement, which is why he fled from the traffic stop, according to court documents. Rownan was released from prison less than two months ago, on Aug. 29. He had been arrested 36 times before Wednesday’s crash.
Rownan’s charges list multiple aggravating circumstances, which indicate the state may seek a sentence above the standard range in this case. One includes displaying an “egregious lack of remorse.”
Multiple law enforcement officers who interviewed Rownan at the hospital allege that he “appeared as if he did not care” and did not believe that the victim’s death was his fault.
A state trooper reported that when he told Rownan his behavior was selfish and led to the death of an innocent victim, he replied: “You guys could have backed off too, you guys could have not chased me.”
트위터 공유: 파크랜드에서 치명적인 충돌 사고 후 중범죄 살인을 포함한 8건의 혐...