A car crash last October in Kent that killed a 17-year-old boy remains under investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy in a Sheriff’s Office patrol car collided with a vehicle driven by Brandon Gonzalez, 17, of Kent, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School in the Federal Way School District. Gonzalez died from injuries suffered in the 12:30 a.m. Oct. 20 accident at the intersection of South 196th Street and 68th Avenue South.
“The case was going to be on the February Driving Review Board but the investigator is not done with the case,” said Sgt. Cindi West, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman, in a Feb. 12 email. “We are hoping it will be on the March Driving Review Board.”
The board includes seven members from the Sheriff’s Office, including a commander who chairs the group.
The Major Accident Response and Reconstruction Unit of the Sheriff’s Office investigates the accident forwards its findings to the Driving Review Board to decide if the deputy’s driving was within policy and the law, whether it was preventable or not and if any training or discipline should be given to the deputy, West said. The deputy is a seven-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy suffered a broken wrist in the accident. Two passengers in the Acura driven by Gonzalez were treated for minor injuries.
Gonzalez drove eastbound on South 196th Street while the patrol car was southbound on 68th Avenue South, also known as the West Valley Highway. Investigators have been unable to determine which car ran the red light. 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.
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