TACOMA, Wash. — Officials in Washington State don't intend to file criminal charges against the driver involved in a deadly crash that killed six Arizona residents in July.
Six people traveling in a Kia sustained fatal injuries after the vehicle was involved in a crash with a BMW on July 16 near Tacoma. The deceased Arizonans were visiting Washington for a local convention.
According to a memo released Thursday by the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney, officials will not be submitting criminal charges against the driver of the BMW.
"There is insufficient evidence to prove that the BMW driver acted with disregard for the safety of others," the memo states. "The BMW was going above the speed limit of 50 mph but that alone is insufficient to support a criminal charge."
Furthermore, investigators concluded that the "proximate cause" of the crash was the Kia failing to stop at a red light and proceeding into the intersection, the memo states.
Though the BMW entered the intersection on a yellow light, officials determined that wasn't enough to prove criminal wrongdoing.
The deceased have been identified as Lisa Esparza, Cerra Corner, Felix Begay, Javan Runnels, Calsie Sockyma, and Erick Tsosie. One passenger in the Kia survived the crash.
*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast*
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