On November 18, 2024, at 6:49 am, officers from the Snoqualmie-North Bend Police Department were dispatched to the report of a person laying in the roadway near the intersection of Cedar Falls Way SE and Salish Avenue SE in North Bend. Eastside Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene.
Upon arrival, a 32-year-old male was found seriously injured from what appeared to be a hit-and-run accident. A side mirror, along with auto glass in the roadway, indicated the suspect vehicle was a gold passenger car. Medics transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
Two hours later, an officer patrolling neighborhoods in the vicinity of the incident located a gold Toyota Rav 4 that was missing a side mirror with heavy damage to the passenger side window and windshield. A short time later, a 25-year-old female was arrested for vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run.
The driver told investigators that she had been distracted by her cell phone at the time of the accident. The driver returned to the scene, but upon seeing police and fire department vehicles at the location of the accident, she returned home.
The victim remains in critical condition in the hospital.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of road safety and the responsibility of drivers to remain vigilant while sharing the roadway with pedestrians.