SEATTLE, Wash. — New information is coming to light seven weeks after a child was killed by a runaway car outside of Washington Middle School.
The department has issued four parking violations to the owner of the vehicle, including for parking in a no-parking zone, near a hydrant, and for failing to properly park and secure the vehicle.
Detectives say they spoke with multiple people during the investigation, including family, witnesses, school administrators and prosecutors, but they haven’t been able to determine any applicable criminal charges at this time.
Seattle police say 12-year-old Arsema Barekew was hit on the afternoon of March 6. She was on the sidewalk at the time.
Police say she was with multiple students, and the runaway car hit three students, but Barekew didn’t survive.
Seattle Public Schools told KIRO 7 that it happened shortly after second lunch while walking to recess.
Police said the car, which didn’t have a driver inside, rolled about 75 yards backward on 20th Place South.
SPD officials have declined to provide more information, so KIRO 7 asked Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound’s Jim Fuda to weigh in. Fuda has more than three decades of law enforcement experience.
“The prosecutor looks at this, ‘Could we win this case? Could we find this person guilty of that?’ And they thought not,” he said.
Despite the lack of criminal charges, Fuda said the person who parked the vehicle may face other consequences.
“There’s obviously the civil liability side of this that I’m sure is going to be extensive,” he said.
KIRO 7 spoke with Barekew’s family about a week after her death. They said they had no idea their daughter would be walking around the school outside.
On Friday, the department said the investigation is active and ongoing.
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