Kent teen dies from injuries in car crash with Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle

A 17-year-old Kent boy died from injuries suffered when his car collided early Sunday morning with a King County Sheriff’s Office patrol car in Kent.

The accident occurred at about 12:30 a.m. at the intersection of South 196th Street and 68th Avenue South, also known as the West Valley Highway.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the name of the boy.

The patrol car was traveling south on 68th Avenue while an Acura, driven by the boy with two passengers, headed east on South 196th Street, said Sgt. Cindi West, spokeswoman for the King County Sheriff’s Office, in an email.

“The intersection is controlled by a traffic signal,” West said. “Both vehicles entered the intersection around the same time. The patrol car struck the driver’s side of the Acura.”

Paramedics transported the Acura driver with critical injuries to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he later died of his injuries, West said. The deputy was treated at Valley Medical Center in Renton for a broken wrist. The two passengers in the Acura were treated at Valley Medical Center for minor injuries.

“There were no indications of alcohol or drugs at the scene,” West said.

The accident remains under investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office major accident response and reconstruction unit.

One passenger in the Acura told investigators they had been racing another vehicle prior to the accident, West said. The intersection is near a popular street racing section of the North Kent industrial area.

West said the deputy told investigators he had a green light while the surviving occupants of the other car were unsure if their light was green or red.

“We are actively seeking any witnesses to the accident,” West said.

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