Man, 56, dies in crash during Kent Police pursuit

Published 10:14 am Monday, April 27, 2026

A 56-year-old Seattle man was killed when he lost control of his vehicle and smashed into a utility pole during a pursuit by Kent Police.

An officer observed a suspected DUI driver at about 9:21 p.m. Saturday, April 25 in the downtown area, according to a April 26 Kent Police news release.

The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the vehicle reportedly accelerated and began to elude the officer, according to police. The officer pursued the vehicle northbound on Washington Avenue. The Seattle man lost control of his vehicle at the intersection of West Valley Highway and South 228th Street and collided with a utility pole.

Multiple officers arrived to assist and found the driver unconscious trapped inside the vehicle, according to police. Officers pried open the doors of his car to get him out. They deployed an automated external defibrillator (AED) and performed CPR, which was later taken over by King County medics, but the man died at the scene. He was alone in the car.

Washington State Patrol was requested by Kent Police to conduct the collision investigation because it involved a Kent Police officer.