Spokane man charged with vehicular homicide

A man was charged with vehicular homicide Tuesday after the truck he was driving slammed into a vehicle stopped at a stoplight in Spokane Valley, killing the driver.

Virgil J. Seymour, 39, was arrested after fleeing the scene of the fatal collision near East Broadway Avenue and North University Road late Monday night, Spokane Sheriff’s deputies wrote in charging documents.

His bond was set at $100,000.

Deputies responded to the crash at about 11:30 p.m., where Seymour’s 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck had rammed into a 2006 Mazda 6 Sedan at high speed, deputies wrote in court documents. The Mazda, driven by a man with a female passenger, was stopped at a red light and began moving northbound on University when the light turned green.

At that moment, witnesses say the Mazda was struck from behind by the Ford, according to court documents. The driver of the Mazda was fatally injured. His passenger suffered cuts and was taken to a hospital.

When first responders arrived, they noted the driver and passenger of the Ford standing next to the car along with the Mazda’s passenger, deputies said. A deputy asked Seymour to come to him after exiting his patrol car, which is when he fled on foot.

Deputies tracked him with the help of a K-9 officer to the area of East Broadway Avenue and North Raymond Road, a block west of the crash. While detaining Seymour, deputies believed he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol due to his appearance, speech and mannerisms.

Seymour was detained at the scene and taken to the Spokane Valley Police Department, where he declined to answer questions, according to court documents.

Seymour refused a breathalyzer test and blood test, but investigators were granted a search warrant to extract two vials of blood. The vials have been sent to the state toxicology lab for testing.

In 2012, Seymour was charged with a DUI that was reduced to reckless driving.