A Redmond woman pleaded not guilty to a felony hit-and-run charge for allegedly hitting a Kent man walking on Sept. 9 along an East Hill street.
Gracey K. Pearson, 29, entered her plea Thursday in King County Superior Court at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. She is scheduled to return to court Oct. 26 when a trial date could be set or attorneys could ask for more time to prepare the case. Pearson remains in the county jail with bail set at $150,000.
If convicted as charged, Pearson faces a sentence range of two years and seven months to three years and five months, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in an email.
D’maine Dugar, 29, died from injuries suffered after he was struck by a vehicle at about 4:30 a.m. in the 20800 block of 132nd Avenue Southeast. He was walking northbound on the west shoulder of the road, according to court documents.
Pearson reportedly crossed into the oncoming lane where she struck Dugar. She fled the scene and did not call 911.
Alec J. Fleck, 2o, of Kent, the boyfriend of Pearson, reportedly helped her flee the state. The two were arrested Sept. 12 by Glendale Police in Glendale, Colo., for shoplifting. Police connected the vehicle they were driving with the hit and run in Kent after Kent Police issued a “be on the lookout notice” (BOLO) for the Honda Accord the pair fled in.
Fleck pleaded not guilty on Thursday to second-degree criminal assistance. He remains in the county jail with bail set at $25,000.
Kent Police found Pearson’s Honda CR-V abandoned on a dead end street at 133rd Place Southeast and South 262nd Street, just blocks from her boyfriend’s home, according to court documents. The vehicle had blood and hair on it and was missing its right front reflector/side marker and had other damage consistent with striking a pedestrian.
Pearson has no criminal record, according to court documents. She does have a traffic history for speeding in 2016, cellphone use while driving in 2016 and negligent driving in 2015.
Fleck has no criminal history but his traffic violations include inattentive driving in 2016, speeding in 2016 and two pending driving while license suspended in 2017.
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