Driver Charged In Fatal Collision With Pedestrian In Lakewood

LAKEWOOD, WA — Police on Thursday identified both the woman who was killed and the man who allegedly killed her with his SUV when he ran a red light in Lakewood Wednesday afternoon.

David Matthew Scott, 43, is being held at Pierce County Jail on one count of vehicular homicide. He is ineligible for bail.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Patch, a Lakewood police officer who was transporting a girl to the Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center just before 12:30 p.m. Nov. 14 narrowly avoided a T-bone collision at the intersection of 86th Street SW and Bridgeport Way SW.

The officer reported he was traveling west on 86th Street SW and had just begun moving through a green light when Scott roared past the police cruiser's front bumper in a green Dodge Durango. The officer estimated Scott was traveling at more than 50 mph.

After nearly hitting the officer's car, Scott — without braking — swerved into the opposite lane of travel before overcorrecting and swerving back across the two northbound lanes, jumping the sidewalk and striking one of two pedestrians there, the officer said, adding the second pedestrian either jumped out of the way or just got lucky.

The pedestrian who was struck, however, was launched into the air, landing roughly 50 feet from where she was hit, the officer said.

After barreling across the sidewalk, Scott reportedly plowed through a nearby yard and into a fence.

The officer reportedly called the collision in, then ran to the injured woman's aid and began CPR. When West Pierce Fire District medical personnel arrived they declared the woman dead. She was later identified as 67-year-old Lakewood resident Karen McMillion. The second unidentified pedestrian was reportedly uninjured.

When officers made contact with Scott, he said he was "driving too fast," the officer said; but over the course of several interviews with different officers, Scott reportedly downgraded his estimated speed from 25-30 mph to a solid 15 mph. Additionally, officers reportedly noted the smell of alcohol coming from the vehicle during the interviews.

When asked about the smell Scott told police he'd drank a Bloody Mary earlier in the morning, but had drank nothing since, officers said. Officers conducted several field sobriety tests and administered a breathalyzer, which reportedly came back negative for alcohol impairment.

Throughout the interviews Scott was noted as behaving unusually upbeat, considering the circumstances, officers said.

Scott reportedly told investigators he'd been in Lakewood on business before heading toward the scene of the crash, which he referred to as "the old neighborhood." Scott reportedly said that prior to the collision the lights facing him at the intersection were flashing yellow when he passed through at "15 mph."

As he passed through the intersection, Scott said he swerved to avoid hitting the police car before losing control and crashing. During this conversation Scott also stated he had been diagnosed as schizophrenic and bipolar, conditions for which he took medication, which included CBD oils, officers said.

Scott was subsequently arrested and taken to Pierce County Jail.

While in custody Scott's "bizarre behavior" reportedly included stripping naked twice and also urinating into a paper cup and drinking it — twice. A blood sample was taken and test results are pending.

Scott's arraignment was held Thursday afternoon. A competency hearing is currently scheduled for Nov. 21.

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