Cory Duke, an 18-year-old Renton resident, has been charged with vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment after the car he was driving crashed Dec. 28, 2010 near Maple Valley.
According to the charges filed by the King County Prosecutor’s Office, Duke was “operating the vehicle in a reckless manner and with disregard for the safety of others” when the collision resulted in the death of 17-year-old Shelby Lee from Seattle.
Duke and Lee, along with a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, were watching a movie at Duke’s house in Renton on Dec. 28. After the movie was over, the four got into Duke’s 1991 Ford Escort to drive to Maple Valley, where the 16-year old girl lived.
Duke drove while the Lee sat in the front passenger seat. The other teens were in the back seats.
The charging document alleges Duke lost control of the car in the 22600 block of Sweeney Road Southeast. The document noted he came out of a turn along a curve in the road and overcorrected, causing the car to slide and rotate off the north side of Sweeney Road.
He admitted to a detective he had been speeding and estimated he was driving 75 mph, according to charging papers.
According to an investigative report the car slid off the road, hit the right front door and struck a fire hydrant.
“This impact caused significant intrusion damage into the right front passenger area,” the documents stated, where the 17-year-old female was seated.
The car eventually rolled over once before resting against a tree. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart told the Reporter in December a call was made to Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety at 10:15 p.m.
The speed limit for that portion of ; Road is 40 mph. Sheriff’s office investigators estimated the car had been going approximately 77 mph when the accident took place. The road conditions at the time were quite wet from rain, the charging documents stated.
Lee died en route to Harborview. The 17-year old boy and 16-year old girl were taken to Valley Medical Center where they were treated for injuries that were not life threatening.
The detective’s report concluded Lee had died as a direct result of this collision. The prosecutor’s case summary stated she had suffered “catastrophic torso and brain injuries.”
The prosecutor has asked Duke’s bail be set at $25,000. Duke was previously cited for a speeding violation Feb. 14, 2009
