An 18-year-old motorist is facing homicide charges for the deaths of a Washington state mother and three of the kids she was ushering around after he allegedly drove his Audi A4 more than 100 miles per hour into their minivan, prosecutors said.
Chase Daniel Jones is accused of killing the 38-year-old mom, Andrea Hudson, as well as Boyd Buster Brown, 12, and sisters Matilda Wilcoxson, 13, and Eloise Wilcoxson, 12 after he barreled into their vehicle, pushing it into another two cars on the road, officials said.
Two of Hudson’s children who were also in the minivan were hospitalized and remain in intensive care.
Jones — who was badly injured — allegedly blew through a red light at an intersection where the crash happened on Tuesday in the community of Fairwood, a King County sheriff official said in a police report obtained by the Seattle Times.
Jones was driving as fast as 112 mph with no signs of breaking on a road where the speed limit was 40 mph, authorities alleged.
He was also seen weaving in and out of traffic leading up to the deadly incident, according to the police report that cited witnesses.
The teen bought the Audi a month ago after totaling two other vehicles in less than a year, in wrecks caused by speeding, King County prosecutors said, according to mynorthwest.com.
Jones was charged with four counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault and reckless driving, Fox 13 reported.
Friends and family of the victims remembered their loved ones over the last week.
The Wilcoxson sisters were a “true light to everyone around them,” a GoFundMe page said.
“They were the oldest of 6 kids and were loving big sisters to their younger siblings, truly ‘mother’s little helpers’ in every sense of the word,” a family friend wrote in the post. “Tillie and Eloise were active members in both their church, school, and neighborhood communities and will be deeply missed by all who knew them.”
Buster Brown’s father, Jaron Brown, called his late son “one of the most fun loving, adventurous kids,” according to the Seattle Times.
Hudson homeschooled her children and was described as a devoted mother and wife.
“She enjoyed spending time adventuring with [her family] in nature, and was an avid health enthusiast and cook,” a GoFundMe page for the 38-year-old’s family stated. “Her absence has left a hole in our hearts and will be felt by many.”