One year later: Remembering those lost in high-speed crash near Fairwood

In memory of the four people who died in a high-speed collision a year ago near Fairwood, families and friends are organizing an “Act of Kindness Day.”

On Wednesday, March 19, the families of Andrea Hudson, Buster Brown, Eloise Wilcoxson and Matilda Wilcoxson invite people in the Renton and Kent communities (and beyond) to honor them by spreading “love, kindness and positivity just like they did in their short but impactful lives.”

A March 14 post shared on Facebook offered different ways for people to participate, which includes:

• Baking a treat for a neighbor or friend in honor of Andrea Hudson, 38, who loved to bake.

• Knitting a beanie for a friend in honor of Buster, 12, who loved to knit.

• Volunteering time at a local park by picking up trash in honor of Matilda, 13, who loved to be outdoors and was “in the process of building their own greenhouse.”

• Leaving anonymous notes of positivity or making a craft for others to find in honor of Eloise, 12, who loved crafting.

On March 19, 2024, Hudson was driving Buster, Eloise and Matilda, along with her children, Noah, 15, and Charlotte, 13, in a minivan when they were struck by Chase Jones, 19, of Kent, who had reportedly run through a red light at the intersection of Southeast 192nd Street and 140th Avenue Southeast near Fairwood and Renton in unincorporated King County. According to court documents, witnesses accounted that Chase Jones had been driving over 100 mph when his car T-boned the minivan, killing Andrea, Buster, Eloise and Matilda instantly.

Jones was charged with four counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault and one count of reckless driving and is awaiting trial.

Since the fatal collision, locals in Kent and Renton have called on lawmakers to make the roads and intersections more safe.