A 4-year-old child is in critical condition after a driver fleeing police ran a red light and crashed into the child’s family’s vehicle in Puyallup Sunday morning.
The incident began when a Puyallup police officer attempted to contact a male driver in a suspicious vehicle parked in a business parking lot on the 100 block of 31st Avenue Southeast.
The driver fled recklessly when approached, and the officer did not pursue, according to officials. Shortly after, officers were dispatched to a serious injury collision at the intersection of 31st Avenue Southwest and the State Route 512 eastbound on-ramp.
The fleeing vehicle, driven by a 21-year-old male from Graham, reportedly ran a red light and struck another vehicle carrying a family of four.
All occupants of the family vehicle were transported to local hospitals, with the 4-year-old listed in critical condition.
The driver who fled from police was also taken to the hospital and is under investigation for vehicular assault.
The 31st Avenue Southwest overpass over SR 512 remained closed as of 12:50 p.m. Sunday as the Metro Cities Major Collision Response Team conducted its investigation.
The officer’s decision not to pursue represents adherence to modern police pursuit policies that weigh the danger of high-speed chases against the severity of suspected crimes. The suspicious vehicle in a parking lot did not represent an immediate threat justifying a dangerous chase through city streets.
The short time between the initial contact and the collision suggests the driver fled at high speed, covering the distance from the parking lot to the SR 512 intersection in minutes. This reckless speed likely contributed to the driver’s inability to stop for the red light.
The intersection at 31st Avenue Southwest and the SR 512 eastbound on-ramp represents a high-traffic area where vehicles are often traveling at highway speeds as they approach the freeway entrance. The combination of high speed and a red light violation created catastrophic consequences.
A family of four traveling together on a Sunday morning suggests they were likely heading to or from a routine activity like church, breakfast, or visiting relatives. Instead, they ended up in a hospital because someone else decided to flee from police.
The 4-year-old’s critical condition indicates life-threatening injuries. Young children are particularly vulnerable in vehicle collisions despite car seats and safety restraints designed to protect them.
The 21-year-old driver from Graham fleeing over a suspicious vehicle contact suggests poor judgment compounded by whatever made the vehicle suspicious in the first place. Whether drugs, stolen property, or an outstanding warrant prompted the flight, the decision to run resulted in a child fighting for life.
Vehicular assault charges in Washington apply when someone causes substantial bodily harm to another person through the operation of a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or with disregard for the safety of others. The reckless flight and red light violation would support such charges.
The Metro Cities Major Collision Response Team’s involvement indicates the severity of the crash. This specialized unit handles the most serious collisions in the region, conducting detailed investigations that can take hours and sometimes days.
The extended closure of the 31st Avenue Southwest overpass, still shut down more than three hours after the collision, demonstrates the extensive investigation required. Investigators photograph the scene, measure skid marks, document vehicle positions, interview witnesses, and reconstruct the sequence of events.
