Kent man killed in rollover crash involving stolen excavator

A 29-year-old Kent man suffered catastrophic injuries and died after a rollover crash involving a stolen trailer and excavator early Saturday, according to police. Just before 7 a.m., patrol officers responded to a report that a driver was seen fleeing the scene of a crash in the 12000 block of Southeast 236th Street, where a truck and trailer had gone into a ditch, according to a post on the Kent Police Department's Facebook page. While driving to that scene, an officer reportedly spotted a different truck pulling an excavator and trailer on Southeast 234th Street.

The truck was being driven erratically, unable to stay in its lane, and its boom arm was fully extended and had struck a stop sign, the post said. The officer did not start a pursuit, in accordance with state law, but saw that the truck's driver couldn't control the swerving trailer and, soon, the trailer and excavator rolled over, detaching from the truck, according to police. The driver hopped out briefly but then got back in the truck and fled, the post says.

While examining the crash, officers found a man who had apparently been on the trailer or in the excavator with massive head and chest injuries. Officers began CPR until medics arrived but the man died at the scene, the post said. A stolen gun was reportedly found in his possession.

A short time later, officers found the boom truck abandoned near 116th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 208th Street and learned it had been stolen along with the trailer and excavator earlier in the morning, the post said. Kent police, with help from a King County Sheriff's Office K-9 team and a drone, searched the area but could not find the driver. Anyone with information is asked to call or text the Kent police tip line at 253-856-5808, or send an email to [email protected][1].

Those with time-sensitive information should call 911.

References

1. ^ [email protected] (www.seattletimes.com)