A second man has died from injuries suffered in a two-vehicle crash Aug. 28 along Canyon Drive in Kent.
Timothy Mwangi, 18, died Aug. 29 of multiple blunt force injuries, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Dennis Ndungwa, 22, of Kent, died at the scene of the crash of multiple blunt force injuries. Mwangi died the next day in a hospital. Both men were in the same vehicle.
Mwangi and Ndungwa were part of the Kenyan community in Kent, according to diasporamessenger.com. Diaspora is a term for people settled far from their ancestral homelands.
“It is with profound shock and deep sadness that we announce the sudden and tragic passing of two young men from our community,” according to diasporamessenger.com. “Dennis Ndungwa and Timothy Mwangi tragically lost their lives on 28th and 29th August in Kent, Washington.
“They were both in the prime of their lives, and their untimely departure has left us all devastated. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of Dennis Ndungwa and Timothy Mwangi.
“This sudden loss has left a void in our community that will be difficult to fill. During this challenging time, we stand together in support and solidarity, offering our love, prayers, and strength to those affected by this tragic event. Let us come together as a community to support one another during this difficult time.”
Mwangi was a June 2023 graduate of Kent-Meridian High School, according to a Kent School District online graduation program.
Kent Police and Puget Sound Fire were dispatched at about 6:46 p.m. Aug. 28 after multiple 911 calls reporting a serious injury crash, according to an Aug. 29 Kent Police statement. Witnesses reported seeing a gold sedan collide with a blue minivan and then leave the roadway into a wooded area, according to police.
Officers and firefighters found Ndungwa in the sedan with life-threatening injuries and started medical aid, but the man died at the scene, according to police. Mwangi and the lone occupant of the minivan were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries.
Initial information gathered at the scene suggests that the sedan’s speed was a contributing factor to the crash, according to police.
Shiru Mwangi, of Kent, the older sister and guardian of Tim Mwangi, said Tim was the youngest of four in their family and lived under her care for some time, according to a GoFundMe account she set up for her brother.
“If you knew him personally then you know he was a shy kid but super sweet at heart and constantly showed it through his actions,” Shiru Mwangi wrote on the GoFundMe page. “We had spoken a week ago and had a major argument only for me to find out that he passed away last night due to a severe car accident. Just one month after turning 18. Words cannot express the feelings our family is undergoing right now.”
Shiru Mwangi started the fundraiser to help pay for funeral expenses and the travel costs of relatives to come to Washington for the service.
“Some of our immediate family members were deported over 20 years ago, and I humbly ask if there’s anything you can donate so that we may process visa’s/tickets for them to come into the country,” Shiru Mwangi wrote.
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