Police recommend felony charges against Seahawks’ Derrick Coleman
Bellevue, Wash., police have recommended that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charge Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman with felony hit-and-run and vehicular assault in connection with a two-car accident in October.
Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Dan Donohoe said the case was forwarded to his office Monday with the recommendation that the two charges be filed. He said the case is on Senior Deputy Prosecutor Amy Freedheim’s desk and she will need several weeks to review it.
While police can make charging recommendations, under state law the prosecutor’s office determines whether to file charges.
Bellevue police spokesman Seth Tyler said he would be releasing a redacted version of the police report to the media Monday.
According to police, Coleman was driving a Dodge pickup east in the 13600 block of Southeast 36th Street at a “high rate of speed” at about 6:20 p.m. on Oct. 14 when his vehicle struck a Honda Civic traveling the same direction. The speed limit on the road is 35 mph. The male driver of the other car suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Coleman, who turned 26 four days after the accident, did not report being injured.
Police said Coleman left on foot from the accident. Officers found him eight minutes after the accident standing barefoot along the road two blocks from the scene, police said.
Coleman was cooperative when officers contacted him, Bellevue Police Chief Steven Mylett said in October.
Asked why police did sobriety and blood tests at the scene, Mylett said: “It’s going really toward statements that were made and observations from the officer at the scene. All I can say is there was enough to warrant us bringing the DRE (drug recognition expert) out there and do sobriety tests and also to secure a search warrant for his blood.”
Coleman was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of vehicular assault and hit-and-run. On Oct. 16 he was released from jail without charges being filed.
After Coleman’s arrest, his agents, Derrick Fox and Mark Bloom, released a statement, which read in part: “While the facts of the case are still being determined, it seems Derrick may have fallen asleep while driving home from a Seahawks’ facility. . We will continue to work closely with the local officials while a full investigation is being conducted.”
In October, Coleman’s lawyer, Stephen W. Hayne, said he was confident charges would not filed.
When asked why Coleman left the scene, Hayne said the accident dislodged hearing aids Coleman wears and that his client might have been disoriented from the accident.
Coleman finished his third full season with the Seahawks and is now a restricted free agent. Seattle can match an offer from another NFL team or receive compensation if he signs elsewhere.
Coleman was initially suspended by the Seahawks after the accident and sat out a regular-season game against Carolina on Oct. 18. He then was inactive the following week with a concussion suffered in the accident.
Coleman had eight carries for 32 yards in 14 games this season, starting one game at tailback but playing primarily fullback, where he started two other games. The 6-foot, 235-pounder from UCLA is one of Seattle’s top special-teams players and had seven tackles on special teams, third-most this season.
Coleman has played in 31 games the past three seasons after joining Seattle in 2012 as part of the team’s practice squad.