Man arrested for ramming family’s van in fiery crash

A road rage incident in north Seattle ended with a family of four having to escape their burning mini van.

Police say an angry and hostile driver slammed his SUV into their van because the vehicle was blocking a narrow residential roadway and he couldn’t get through.

Around 5:30 Saturday night, near Meridian Ave. N. and N. 40th, the two vehicles both came to a stop, in a situation police called an “impasse”.

The family told officers when the driver of a Toyota 4 Runner couldn’t pass, they saw an irate driver through the windshield, visibly angry, yelling at them.

They say the exasperated driver threw up his hands, then flipped them off.

Even that adverse reaction from the annoyed driver couldn’t prepare the family for what happened next.

They say the 25-year-old driver then decided to gun it, ramming his expensive four-wheel-drive SUV, smack dab into the front end of their mini van.

The impact crunched the inside of their engine compartment like an accordion and ignited a fire.

Inside the smashed vehicle, a husband and wife and their two girls, ages ten and seven in booster seats, were suddenly horrified from the impact that had set their vehicle ablaze.

Luckily, they were able to quickly escape from the burning van and no one was seriously hurt.

When officers arrived they found the two vehicles in the middle of the roadway.

Police say the collision pushed the family’s van backwards.

The victims’ vehicle had significant front-end-collision damage and burn marks.

Firefighters said when they arrived the front of the van was engulfed in flames.

Fire crews sprayed foam on it to put out the fire.

The suspect’s Toyota sustained only minor damage.

Officers immediately arrested the suspect.

He did not put up a struggle.

The mother told police she was frightened at the thought of what else the enraged driver might do.

But investigators say the suspect did not interact in any way with the family after he rammed their van.

The mother says she told the suspect to stay at the scene and called 911.

Later, she told police she feared for her own life and for the safety of her two children.

A police report indicates she also told investigators she felt the other driver had struck their van “on purpose out of anger.”

Authorities say it’s likely the driver of the SUV will be charged with four counts of felony assault for using his vehicle as a deadly weapon.

He could also be charged with property destruction.

Police took the suspect into custody and booked him into the King County Jail.

Tow trucks hauled off both vehicles from the scene.

Seattle Police detectives in the Homicide and Assault Unit are still gathering details about the suspect, the apparent willful destruction, and the risk of injury he allegedly caused to others.

They’ll pass that information to prosecutors for possible criminal charges.