An accident in Kent between a King County Sheriff’s Office patrol car and another vehicle that killed a teen driver could go before a Driving Review Board in February.
“The case is still in the hands of the investigators but we anticipate it will be on the February Driving Review Board,” said Sgt. Cindi West, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office.
The board includes seven members from the Sheriff’s Office, including a commander who chairs the group.
Brandon Gonzalez, 17, of Kent, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School in the Federal Way School District, died from injuries suffered in the Oct. 20 accident at about 12:30 a.m. at the intersection of South 196th Street and 68th Avenue South. The deputy suffered a broken wrist. Two passengers in the Acura driven by Gonzalez were treated for minor injuries.
The Major Accident Response and Reconstruction Unit of the Sheriff’s Office investigates the accident and will forward its findings to the Driving Review Board to decide if the deputy’s driving was within policy and the law, whether it was preventable or not and if any training or discipline should be given to the deputy, West said. The deputy is a seven-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office.
The patrol car was traveling south on 68th Avenue while an Acura, driven by Gonzalez with two passengers, headed east on South 196th Street. The posted speed is 50 mph along 68th Avenue South and 35 mph along South 196th Street. Investigators are still reviewing evidence to try to determine the speed of each vehicle.
Investigators have been unable to determine which car ran the red light. The deputy told investigators he had a green light while the surviving occupants of the other car were unsure if their light was green or red.
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