Man charged in Everett crash that killed daughter, passenger
EVERETT – More than two years later, a Lynnwood man was charged with car murder in a South Everett accident that killed his 5-year-old daughter and a 25-year-old community college student, and paralyzed a third passenger.
The Snohomish County Superior Court has issued a $ 1 million arrest warrant against Defendant Jakob Torres, 30. It wasn’t booked into the Snohomish County Jail until Friday afternoon.
Snohomish County prosecutors allege Torres was drunk driving an Acura on January 27, 2019. Shortly after 9 a.m., witnesses reported seeing him speeding across the intersection of Evergreen Way and SW 112th Street.
Detectives calculated the vehicle’s speed using security videos from nearby companies and estimated the Acura was traveling at least 91 mph and up to 106 mph.
The maximum speed on this stretch of road is 35 miles per hour, as noted by Assistant Prosecutor Tobin Darrow in indictments.
Torres’ Acura flew, witnesses reported.
When the car landed, it spun counterclockwise and slid passenger-side first across the sidewalk, tore a cast iron fire hydrant from its foundation and hurled it 30 meters away.
The Acura then hit a power pole and split the car in half.
The rear half stopped and caught fire.
The front half hit a nearby tree and bounced back onto the roadway.
A witness rushed to help. He got a 5-year-old girl who was sitting on a booster seat in the rear.
On the floor between the two halves of the car were Torres and another passenger, Alemayehu Derege.
Derege died on the scene. He was going to community college, Darrow said.
Torres and his daughter Izabella Torres were transported to the Providence Regional Medical Center Everett.
The girl was soon pronounced dead.
Snohomish County Coroner Dr. J. Matthew Lacy, confirmed that Izabella Torres and Derege died as a result of the crash, including serious head injuries.
Another passenger was also seriously injured and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. One surgeon stated that she suffered “a fairly devastating spinal cord injury” that left her paraplegic.
According to the indictment, Jakob Torres told a paramedic that he was the driver and that his “foot slipped”.
In the emergency room, an officer asked Torres several times what had happened.
Finally Torres answered with a single word.
“Pothole.”
Someone who knew Torres was also in the hospital. According to her, Torres passed on that he had pulled into the street, causing him to lose control of the car.
A blood sample was taken from Torres shortly after 12:37 p.m. following judicial approval. It showed a blood alcohol level of 0.06. According to Darrow, the average rate of dissipation of alcohol is 0.015 per hour.
Jakob Torres suffered two spinal fractures and “numerous other injuries”, according to the indictments.
In October 2019, traffic detectives went to the house of the passenger who was living. She was in a power wheelchair when she opened the door.
The woman refused to talk about the collision. During their conversation, her supervisor handed a phone to a detective.
According to court records, it was Jakob Torres’ father who yelled. When the detective returned the phone, he could hear the nurse’s father telling the nurse not to say anything.
Torres was previously convicted of drinking and driving twice, in Hawaii in 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he was charged again with DUI and was prosecuted to avoid charges.
He was still on suspended prosecution when he crashed, Darrow said.
Darrow had no information on Jacob Torres’ condition or whereabouts. As far as he knew, the defendant was still alive.
“But if the defendant is in any way able to drive,” wrote Darrow, who requested $ 1 million bail, “the state believes he is an extreme danger to the public.”
Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; [email protected]. Twitter: @zachariahtb.