Driver killed as car crashes into Kent home

A 24-year-old Kent man was killed when he crashed a late-model Infiniti at a high rate of speed into a home at about 12:24 a.m. Thursday in the 28200 block of 144th Avenue Southeast on the East Hill of Kent.

The driver of the car was Brandon Michael Suss, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office.

The first Kent firefighters and police to arrive at the house found the car 30 feet inside the home in the living room. Suss was dead at the scene, according to a Kent Police media release.

A 63-year-old woman in the house escaped injury as just moments before the crash she walked from a chair in the living room to the kitchen to get some cheese for her chili. She then heard a loud explosion.

The woman returned to the living room to find a car atop her chair, the room destroyed and a large hole in the outside wall of the house.

“While it is tragic that the driver died, we are grateful no one else was injured,” said Kent Sgt. Pat Lowery.

The damage to the home has left it uninhabitable. The woman has found another place to live until repairs can be made.

Kent traffic investigators continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

"We know that he was traveling south on 144th, lost control and left the road," said Lowery in an e-mail. "We do not know why he lost control though we have impounded the vehicle as a part of the investigation."

Police are waiting for results of a blood test from Suss to determine if alcohol or drugs played a role, Lowery said.

"The distance that the car traveled into the home indicates a high speed collision but our traffic (investigators) are still working to determine how fast is fast," Lowery said.

Contact Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter Steve Hunter at shunter@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5052.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.