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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Driver accused of vehicular homicide after pedestrian struck, killed at Division Street and Third Avenue

A van plowed through an intersection Monday morning, hitting two vehicles and killing a woman in downtown Spokane. The driver of the van has been arrested for vehicular homicide.

The woman, described to be in her mid- to late-50s by witnesses, was crossing Division Street on Third Avenue near Dick’s Hamburgers just after 10 a.m. when witnesses say a gold-colored van exiting Interstate 90 at the westbound off-ramp failed to stop, hitting a blue SUV and a white Subaru sedan stopped at the stoplight before hitting the woman, dragging her under the vehicle.

A bystander who declined to give his full name said he and a group of about “eight or nine” people tried to get the woman out from under the van, but were unsuccessful. He said when he contacted the woman she appeared unconscious and was unresponsive.

“If we could have gotten her out of there I would have done more,” he said. “But I couldn’t.”

Police arrested the driver of the van, identified as 62-year-old Michael J. Lucey, and booked him into Spokane County Jail. They are recommending a charge of vehicular homicide. Lucey has no prior felony convictions in Washington state.

There was no official word on the cause of the crash from police Monday, but they said Lucey was being cooperative with investigators. The woman’s identity will be released by the Spokane County Medical Examiner, police said.

Officer Josh Laiva, spokesman for the Spokane Police Department, said police are on the lookout for the driver of the white Subaru, who fled the scene. He said anyone with information on his whereabouts, or who witnessed the crash and has not yet talked to police, to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

There were no other injuries reported.

Police closed the eastbound and westbound Division Street off-ramps for about three hours while the crash was investigated. Third Avenue also was closed between Division and Cowley Street.