By Steve Powell
spowell@marysvilleglobe.com
MARYSVILLE – A 60-year-old Puyallup man was arrested Tuesday by Marysville investigators regarding the fatal hit-and-run July 6 at the onramp to northbound I-5 at Fourth.
The driver, Randy Keith, was booked into the Snohomish County Jail in Everett on suspicion of vehicular homicide and felony hit and run. The collision took the life of a 52-year-old Marysville man, Scott H. Williams.
The suspect works as a driver for a company that has delivery routes in the Marysville area.
The news release by Sgt. Jeff Franzen said they used good, old-fashioned police work: surveillance, canvasing neighborhoods, searching for videos, working with local media, along with supporting information from the public that led to the arrest. Officers committed numerous hours looking for video up and down I-5.
The driver has been interviewed by Marysville police. Initially, he denied any knowledge of the collision. Eventually he saw there was damage to his truck and then knew he had hit somebody or something. The suspect, when he heard about the collision on local media, stated he knew it was probably him. The truck has been located and a thorough examination will happen after search warrants are obtained.
Security video from a nearby business shows people in the area who are possible witnesses. The video shows two white box trucks and a light-colored passenger car on the northbound onramp to I-5. The collision occurred between 4:25 and 4:35 a.m. Anyone at the nearby park and ride during that time also may have seen something. Tips can be called into Marysville police at 360-363-8350.
A memorial has been set up along the onramp, asking witnesses to come forward saying Sullivan was a husband, son, brother and friend.
The Herald in Everett reported Thursday that Keith reportedly stopped in Arlington to inspect the damage to his truck. He allegedly told Marysville police that he panicked after he felt his truck hit something, court documents say. He raced off but stopped in Arlington. He said after seeing the damage he knew he had hit somebody or something, a police affidavit says. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a radio report about a fatal collision, court papers say.
Keith made a brief appearance Wednesday in Everett District Court.
Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Bob Hendrix didn’t ask the judge to hold the suspect for vehicular homicide. The prosecutor asked that bail be set at $100,000, saying Keith failed to step forward when he thought he might be responsible for the deadly collision.
Bail was set at $10,000.
