Hit And Run Suspect Surrenders To Police: WSP

SPANAWAY, WA - The suspect in a hit and run case north of Spanaway surrendered to law enforcement Sunday morning, according to the Washington State Patrol. Trooper Johnna Batiste announced the suspect's arrest Tuesday night on Twitter.

Kevin Michael Koch, 37, is being held at Pierce County Jail. He faces charges for vehicular assault, failing to remain at the scene of an injury accident, driving while suspended, and violating his probation. His bail is set at $500,000.

According to court documents obtained by Patch, Koch and three others were drinking and bowling on the evening of Dec. 28. Shortly after 12:30 a.m. Dec. 29, the group left the bowling alley to head home.

Video surveillance captured the group driving out of the bowling alley parking lot in a dark-colored Mazda CX-7 without its headlights on; Koch was behind the wheel.

Down the road a bit, at the intersection of 138th Street and Pacific Avenue south, north of Spanaway, Michael Matzick was crossing the highway after leaving a nearby 7-Eleven when he was struck by the Mazda.

Witnesses behind the Mazda later told detectives they saw the vehicle moving without its headlights when it hit the pedestrian, launching him into the air. After the collision, which left Matzick with a broken leg and head laceration, Koch continued driving down the road.

Inside the car one of the three passengers shouted at Koch to stop and go back, court documents state.

Days later, on Jan. 9, one of the Mazda's passengers from the night of the hit and run called police. The caller told police Koch was driving his girlfriend's Mazda the night of the crash and that the vehicle was now parked in Graham.

Detectives went to the residence given and found the Mazda; it reportedly had damage to the hood and a recently-replaced windshield.

The reporting passenger told detectives he had the windshield replaced because it was so heavily damaged "it was about to cave in and fall out," court documents state.

Additionally, the passenger explained how the incident had weighed heavily on him in the days since it happened, inspiring him to call law enforcement. By the time the passenger called, however, police had already obtained enough video evidence from nearby businesses to piece together the narrative; the passenger's story just filled in some blanks.

The only thing that neither video evidence nor the passenger could confirm was whether Koch was too inebriated to drive.

Koch surrendered to authorities around 7 p.m. Jan. 26.

Washington State Patrol previously included Koch's girlfriend, Nichole Martin, in its search. At this time Martin appears free of any pending charges.

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Image via Washington State Patrol