Kent Police investigating fatal collision on Central Avenue North Wednesday night

Kent Police are reporting that on Wednesday night, May 29, 2024, a fatal collision on Central Avenue North prompted a swift response from Police, Firefighters from the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority (PSRFA), and Medics.

Police said that at approximately 9:48 p.m., multiple witnesses reported a serious accident in the 200 block of Central Avenue North (map below), indicating that occupants were trapped inside their vehicles.

Kent officers arrived within a minute and found the driver of a red Prius unconscious with the doors locked. Emergency personnel broke the window to provide life-saving treatment. The driver, a 30-year-old man from Puyallup, was transported to a local hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries. He was the sole occupant of the red Prius.

Witnesses stated that the suspect vehicle, a Tesla, had run a red light at the intersection of Central Avenue North and Smith Street, colliding with a grey Prius before hitting the red Prius as it exited a restaurant parking lot. The impact pushed the red Prius into a nearby wall.

Two of the three passengers in the Tesla sustained significant injuries and were transported to local hospitals. The Tesla driver, a 23-year-old man from Spanaway, was also hospitalized and later arrested. Authorities obtained a warrant to test his blood for intoxicants.

The Kent Police Traffic Unit is investigating the circumstances leading up to the collision. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the cause of death.