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

Man arrested for running over and killing his date on Sunday

A woman is dead after her drunk boyfriend ran her over with his truck in northeast Spokane, police say.

The woman, identified in court documents as Melissa K. Morrow, died not long after first responders arrived to the scene at about 5 p.m. Sunday near North Cincinnati Street near Olympic Avenue, Spokane police reported in a news release.

When police arrived they found a truck with a Montana license plate and what appeared to be a shotgun in the rear window, according to court documents.

The driver, Brice R. Billups, 40, told police he and Morrow had gone to the shooting range where he had a “couple of drinks,” according to court documents. On the way home, the pair got into a fight. Once at Morrow’s home, Billups got his possessions and was trying to leave when Morrow came up to his window, he told police. Billups pushed her away and began to drive off, but then felt something, Billups told police.

That’s when he stopped the truck and ran back to see Morrow on the ground, he told police.

“I know that I drove over her. I know that,” Billups told police as indicated in court documents.

Officers on scene did a number of field sobriety tests on Billups. His breathalyzer reading was a 0.094, according to court documents. The legal limit in Washington state is 0.08.

Billups was arrested and booked into Spokane County Jail for a charge of vehicular homicide.

Streets in the area were closed for several hours while the scene was investigated, police said.