Kenmore woman charged in fatal hit-and-run
Oct 24, 2013, 5:04 PM | Updated: 5:17 pm
A Kenmore woman who called 911 to report finding a dead man alongside the road has now been charged with felony hit-and-run.
Prosecutors allege Sydney K. Jones, 24, accidentally killed 31-year-old Joseph Humphreys as he walked in Kenmore early Monday morning.
Jones claimed to have discovered Humphreys’ body while she walked her dog along the two-lane road and was originally called a “Good Samaritan.”
But in charging documents, prosecutors contend she struck the Shoreline Community College student with her truck in the 18400 62nd Ave. NE and then drove home.
Jones walked back to the crash scene about 80 minutes later and called 911, prosecutors allege.
The impact sent Humphreys “flying” with the force damaging her truck.
Police were able to link the debris from the crash scene to a Ford F150 pickup. Jones turned herself in and admitted she was the driver around 2 p.m. that same day.
A King County Sheriff’s detective says Jones told him she was driving too fast and was distracted as she lit a cigarette at the time of the impact, according to court documents.
Jones was driving without a valid driver’s license. She has no known criminal history. The unemployed woman is currently living with her parents while attending out-patient substance abuse treatment.
Prosecutors don’t have enough evidence to charge her with the more serious crime of vehicular homicide.
Jones is free on $25,000 bail. She is scheduled for arraignment Nov. 7 in King County Superior Court.
