Chase Daniel Jones, 18, of Kent, charged with four counts of vehicular homicide in a March 19 collision near Renton that killed a woman and three children, reportedly sped in at least one of his two previous crashes in the past 10 months in Kent.
Jones told a Kent Police officer that he was going “40 to 50” mph in a 25 mph zone along SE 204th Street when he collided with another vehicle on May 8, 2023, according to a police report and an officer’s body-camera video obtained by the Kent Reporter through a public records request.
In a second crash on Jan. 23, 2024, the driver of the other vehicle told Kent Police he believed Jones was “traveling too quickly” in the outside lane along 108th Avenue SE when he pulled over from the inside lane and was hit from behind by Jones’ vehicle, according to a police report.
Nobody was injured in either crash. Police didn’t cite Jones in either case. In the second collision, an officer cited the other driver for an improper, unsafe lane change.
Jones, a 2023 Kentridge High School graduate, was released from the King County jail on April 2 after posting bail on a $100,000 hold. King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender reduced his bail from $1 million to $100,000 at his arraignment April 1 after his defense attorney had asked for Jones to be released on personal recognizance. Jones is to remain on electronic home detention and is not allowed to drive until his case is resolved. Jones pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.
According to charging documents, Jones’ 2015 Audi A4 sedan reportedly T-boned 38-year-old Andrea Hudson’s minivan, as she carpooled five children, at the intersection of Southeast 192nd Street and 140th Avenue Southeast in the Cascade-Fairwood area of unincorporated King County after running through a red light at 112 mph.
Hudson, Matilda Wilcoxson, 13, Eloise Wilcoxson, 12 and Boyd “Buster” Brown, 12, were killed in the collision. Jones faces vehicular assault charges for injuries suffered by two of Hudson’s children in the vehicle. Prosecutors also charged him with reckless driving.
First Kent crash
Kent Police responded at about 10:42 p.m. May 8, 2023 to a collision at 103rd Place SE and SE 204th Street, according to a traffic collision police report.
Jones was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe while a 24-year-old Auburn man drove a 2019 Mercedes Benz E Class sedan.
Officers arrived to find the Mercedes facing west in the eastbound lane of SE 204th Street. The red Tahoe was on the curb and had crashed into a fence.
The Auburn man said he was heading south on 103rd Place SE attempting to turn left (east) on to SE 204th Street, according to the police report. It is an uncontrolled intersection with no traffic light or stop sign.
The man said he began to pull forward to make his left turn when he saw headlights coming toward his vehicle. He was going to try to reverse but was too late and the Tahoe collided with the driver’s side rear quarter panel causing extensive damage.
“I made a full stop,” the man said, according to body-camera video. “I turned, I looked and by the time I got out there a pair of lights was going so fast that I tried to put it in reverse and go backwards, but it hit me. I tried to get out of the way as quick as possible.”
Jones told an officer that he has just left 24 Hour Fitness up the street and was driving westbound on SE 204th Street. He said it was an open road so he gave it some gas. He said he going over the speed limit of 25 mph. The officer asked him how fast he was going.
“Forty to 50,” Jones said.
Jones explained what he saw from the other driver.
“He turned out and kind of stopped in the middle of the road when he saw me,” Jones said, according to body-camera video. “I swerved to the side and tried to get around him.”
While the officer sat in his vehicle to write up the report, Jones came to his window to provide the officer some more information.
As Jones stood next to the vehicle, officer delivered a message.
“Stay tough, don’t sweat it, just learn a lesson,” the officer said. “I did the same thing, I was young, too, man. It’s not the end of the world. No one got hurt. Your parents may be a little mad but they’ll get over it.”
The father and mother of Jones were at the crash scene. The Tahoe was registered to the mother of Jones.
“Nobody was hurt, just the cars,” the mother of Jones said, according to the body-camera video.
The officer didn’t issue any citations and closed the case. The vehicles of both drivers had to be towed.
Second Kent crash
An officer responded to a non-injury crash at about 7:26 p.m. Jan. 23, 2024 in the 21200 block of 108th Avenue SE.
A 63-year-old Kent man told police he was traveling northbound on 108th Avenue SE in the inside lane, according to the police report. He said he signaled to change lanes to the outside lane when he believed Jones was traveling too quickly in the outside lane. As he changed lanes, Jones’ vehicle collided with his.
Jones told the officer he was traveling northbound on 108th Avenue SE in the outside lane when he observed a vehicle traveling northbound on the inside lane and begin to intrude into his lane of travel.
As the vehicle changed lanes, Jones said he tried to avoid a collision by swerving towards the center turn lane of 108th Avenue SE. The officer noted as a result of avoiding a serious collision, the front passenger side of Jones’ vehicle struck the rear driver’s side of the first vehicle.
Neither vehicle had to be towed. The officer cited the Kent man for an improper lane change.
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