12-year-old says friend saved him during Maple Valley car crash
Apr 14, 2016, 8:29 AM | Updated: 5:42 pm
Seven middle school students waiting at a bus stop in Maple Valley were hurt when the driver of a pickup had a seizure and lost control.
The King County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred at Southeast 270th Street at 218th Avenue Southeast.
The group of Cedar River Middle School students was waiting for the school bus in the Cherokee Bay neighborhood at about 8 a.m. Thursday when the driver of the pickup lost control, hitting some students, according to Kevin Patterson with the Tahoma School District. The truck continued for a few feet and hit a tree.
Officials say driver of pick up truck had license suspended before crash and had seizure at wheel .@KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/ukOc6eSDNH
— Patranya Bhoolsuwan (@PatranyaKIRO7) April 14, 2016
The driver was found unconscious behind the wheel with his foot still on the gas.
Police said the 19-year-old driver of the truck has a suspended license. He was taken to the hospital and will be booked into the King County Jail on vehicular assault charges after he is released.
“We are told he has a history of seizures,” says King County Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindi West. “It does appear he has seizures prior to the accident and during the accident.”
West said the driver’s license was suspended due to medical reasons.
One boy was taken to Harborview with serious injuries to his chest and another was taken to Valley Medical Center with a broken leg. The other boys’ injuries ranged from a possible broken ankle to cuts and bruises. Three of the victims were evaluated and then treated at the scene.
Patterson said about 20 students were waiting at the bus stop when the truck came toward them.
Donovan Sayre, 12, said his best friend pushed him out of the way.
It is not yet known how many of the boys were actually struck by the truck and how many were injured while trying to get out of the way of the vehicle.
Alcohol was not suspected to be a factor in the crash, but a blood draw was done to determine if any drugs were involved. The case will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review and the filing of charges.
12 yr old Donovan Sayre says his best friend pushed him out of the way when car crashed at bus stop. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/B8FS78EJfm
— Patranya Bhoolsuwan (@PatranyaKIRO7) April 14, 2016
Brad Sayre is counting his blessing his son Donavan just got a scrape on his elbow. The 12-year-old can’t stop talking about his best friend.
“I am just thankful he pushed me out of the way,” Donavan said. “If he hadn’t I would have gotten hit by a car.”
