An Auburn man received multiple charges after an alleged road rage incident in Renton, where he hit a man on a motorcycle.
On Dec. 17, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) charged Theodore James Canyock, 28, of Auburn, with vehicular assault, second-degree assault and reckless driving. This charge stems from an alleged Dec. 13 incident where Canyock is accused of hitting a man on a motorcycle in a road rage incident, which caused the motorcyclist to eject and suffer a head injury.
According to the KCPAO, at first appearance, the judge set bail at $75,000. According to the King County Adult and Juvenile Detention jail lookup, Canyock is currently at the King County Correctional Facility awaiting trial.
Details of the case
According to charging documents, at 4:47 p.m. Dec. 13, Renton police were dispatched to a serious motor vehicle collision east of the intersection of SE Petrovitsky Road and 108th Avenue SE. The initial details of the call were a vehicle vs. a motorcyclist who was still down on the ground. A few more calls then indicated that the collision stemmed from a road rage incident between the two.
Officers at the scene found the motorcyclist lying on the south side curb of SE Petrovitsky Road, partially in the eastbound lane of travel. The motorcyclist was not responsive and had suffered a large wound to the back of his head. He was also bleeding from his ears, and officers described his breathing as agonal. The rider’s helmet was found nearby, but it was unclear whether the helmet was on or not during the crash.
About 200 feet to the east of the motorcyclist, the other vehicle involved, a white 2021 Jeep Gladiator, was located. The motorcycle appeared to have been dragged under the Jeep from the initial point of impact. Next to the Jeep, officers located Canyock, his girlfriend and their 4-year-old son.
Documents state that Canyock said he could not stop because his brakes weren’t working, and that he hit the motorcycle after a car pulled out in front of him from the exit of a gas station. Canyock said that the motorcyclist was lane splitting, so when the car pulled out in front of him, it resulted in him swerving and hitting the motorcyclist.
Officers stated in documents that Canyock’s description of events did not make sense, as the gas station was about 750 feet west of SE Petrovitsky Road and 108th Avenue SE, and the collision occurred just east of the intersection. A responding officer asked Canyock if there was road rage involved in the crash, and he said no.
“Canyock stated that he, ‘used to have a lot of road rage back in the day,’ but that since he had his child, he does not,” documents state.
Officers asked Canyock’s girlfriend what happened, and she stated that the motorcyclist cut them off in the area of the gas station, and the motorcyclist then began to brake check them, and at one point flipped them off. The girlfriend then said that the motorcyclist got too close to the Jeep and was run over. Officers stated in documents that this description of events contradicted Canyock’s denial of any sort of road rage or aggressive interaction.
Documents state that witnesses to the events included a van carrying Boy Scouts and troop leaders, who provided written statements. Witnesses stated that the motorcyclist was lane splitting, and the Jeep then began to swerve aggressively toward the motorcycle, and the motorcyclist at one point flipped off the jeep. Witnesses state that the motorcyclist then accelerated, and the Jeep began to chase the motorcycle, trailing by a few feet.
“Both wrote that during this interaction, the Jeep struck the motorcycle,” documents state. “This collision separated the rider from the motorcycle, and the motorcycle became lodged under the front of the Jeep.”
Documents state that the marks on the motorcycle indicate that the motorcycle was not rear-ended, but the motorcycle was instead impacted on its left rear side. The motorcyclist was taken to Harborview Medical Center, and on Dec. 16, he was awake but uncommunicative. A nurse advised that the motorcyclist suffered injuries to his head and neck, including fractures. According to a Harborview Medical Center spokesperson, the motorcyclist remains in the intensive care unit.
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