Acura landed in front yard on West Sixth Street, Centralia. / Courtesy photo by Centralia Police Department
Updated at 8:25 a.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A 19-year-old driver was killed after speeding away from an attempted traffic stop, losing control of his car and striking a house in Centralia overnight.
Two women in their 20s were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries, according to authorities.
Firefighters called about 2:15 a.m. to the 300 block of West Sixth Street along with the officer initiated CPR on the Centralia man but he died at the scene from his injuries, according to the Centralia Police Department. He had been ejected, as had one of the passengers, according to police.
The Washington State Patrol will be conducting the investigation.
Centralia police say the officer had attempted to stop the car for a minor traffic violation near the intersection of Oxford Avenue and Marion Street.
The car sped westbound over the Sixth Street viaduct, continuing through intersections at North Tower Avenue and North Pearl Streets, ignoring stop signs, according to Officer John Panco.
Just west of North Pearl, the the driver lost control, the vehicle left the roadway, hitting the residence and came to rest in its front yard, Panco stated in a news release this morning.
Panco says the small import car was traveling so fast, the pursuing officer couldn’t keep up and observed some of it from the top of the Sixth Street viaduct.
The driver ejected from the vehicle landed in the roadway, according to Riverside Fire Authority. Police this morning did not know the identities of the two female passengers, according to Panco.
Centralia detective Sgt. Carl Buster indicates “some” structural damage to the house.
The fire department was assisted by members of Lewis County Fire District 6. Centralia police were joined at the scene by the personnel from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the state patrol.
Shouldn’t have been a fucking idiot.. you loose..
Thanks for feeding the Troll. I am Peabody Slim hence the word Transformer. In my mom’s basement laughing my A$$ Off.
Does it really matter whose fault a life is cut short and a couple of others saved. LET this family deal with the emotions tearing them up. IF YOU don’t have something positive to say to help all involved, DON’T SAY ANYTHING at all. NO FINGER pointing I’d going to resolve this issue at this time
BODY CAMS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT ONCE!!!!!!! And Lewis Carroll was a brilliant man by the way!
Was he under the influence?
Funny thing you said that Dr. Gringo There are videos of cops punching people on YouTube and the victims are charged with assault when the cop breaks their hand on the victims face. It’s time to equip the local police here with dash cameras at the least. Plato’s Cave is real to the people that think cops do know wrong. Head over to photography is not a crime .com and take a look at the police that are caught daily lying. Remember that cop that claimed he was shot at and then set his cruiser on fire then committed suicide. I sure do. For all we know the CPD could of performed a PIT manuvere and caused his death. With no Dash Cameras it’s just another CPD fairytale.
So if a cop behind me hits his/her lights (i.e., tells me to pull over) and I decide to hit the accelerator instead to try to get away, it’s the COP’S fault if I get into an accident and get killed? Even Lewis Carroll at his highest couldn’t come up with “logic” like that…Wonderland made more sense to Alice.
Well said Bill Thomas. Where was common sense when the big bright lights on top of the car are indicating a stop? Thank you for all of the hard work and thankless work that our officers do!!!!!
@lewislover, states in a prior article that Austin did not have an outstanding warrent for his arrest. Seems to me the girls new they’d get locked up for petty DOC warrents so they maybe told him to run… Now the kid is dead. What ever really happend in that car before the accident, we will never know. One thing i am sure about is that Miss. Rosa and Miss Darcie have a life long of guilt to look forward too! My deepest respect goes out to his family. (Not bashing the girls, just pointing out the obvious and what everyone else is already thinking)
both young lady’s are in jail now on DOC warrants, were they all running from the law but Austin paid the price for them…sad that lewis county has so many lost young people..
Billy or hit the nail right on the nose, I am glad that you agree Billy Orr.
No transformer. Running from the Police caused this tragedy, not the Police. They have those bright lights on top so even people like you will know to stop and not take off speeding. His actions put him and everyone else in danger. What is wrong with you? Where did common sense go.
No Denise the police should of called off the chase, they caused this deadly accident. They could of just picked him up later. Just another fairytale with no Cameras here in Centralia’s corrupt PD.
police don’t have dash cams. So why believe them? they are known to lie and kill people. Demand dash cams so they can’t Lie anymore. We are sick of hearing their bs stories of Self defense and murderous valor. Hiding behind the badge. With dash cams arrests and brutality would decrease while maintaining and gaining integrity and community transparency and support. It would be huge blow to the court house because half the cases would be thrown out. Justice would hit them in the wallet. It’s the only way to fight back. Use technology cromagnums. Any one against dash cams is against the reality of law enforcement fraud and deception and should be tried for treason and desecration of the flag. Trying to rewrite history and alter reality. Fuck you. Let daddy watch big brother. Nanny cam those son of a bitches.
I knew Austin and his family well. He and I attended school together and always got along with each other very well. Yes, he made some reckless, careless, and foolish decisions in his day. But, who hasn’t??? I am very saddened to see this. If the ignorant posters like KC or Karla Carroll should we call her?can’t see that this is about a young man with a family and friends who are morning his loss then you people are even stupider than I thought!
Maybe Law Enforcement could quit giving people like Bo an opportunity to criticize them. Bo is not discriminatory and will call them out as he sees them equally. I’ve seen Bo commend officers fewer times than criticize them because, quite frankly they do fewer commendable things.
I agree with you Denise. This is just another opportunity for people like Bo to criticize law enforcement instead of recognizing that the decision to elude was totally up to the young man. It’s a sad story, but don’t blame the police for a very bad decision on the young man’s part.
Getting attacked on LCS has become a public tradition. Thanks for feeding the Troll.
Eluding police is a FELONY…….the officer did what was required of him……had the driver of the car drove off & slammed into a vehicle with children in it & killing these children you’d be singing a different tune Transformer! The easiest thing for people to do is follow the law…..that simple. Prayers go out to these families including the officer as this is always a very sad & tragic situation for all concerned.
So the officer is to blame for not calling off the persuit off for public safety. incredibly bad judgement.
One less wannane gang banger the great police of the twin cities have deal with
I seen a car exactly like this one earlier yesterday trying to show off some young punk see what happens when you drive like a idiot YOU LOSE
Hey watch thousands of police brutality videos on YouTube and get back to me. Until then thanks for the uplifting name calling. It proves my point that these police need video equipment. People are dead over trivial crimes. Unacceptable enjoy the Police State when you’re marched to you’re deaths over Orders and Law.
RIP AUSTIN CARTWRIGHT!!! I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE A NICE KID!!!!!!
PS I agree with you transformer!
It saddens me that this tragedy is an invitation to wrong the cop for doing his job. This boy did what a number of guys have done to look cool, impress his friends, or simply avoid the ticket… he wasn’t right in doing so by any means, and he paid the ultimate price for it…. but to start pointing blame is not gonna bring comfort to those who just lost a loved one…
So, was this a high speed chase? Over a “minor traffic violation”?
Whatever Transformer, I’m guessing anything the police do is wrong according to you. Asshole.
Hey Transgender or whatever…the report said there was an eye witness. Go watch Kapernick lose more games, loser.
OMG prayers sent to Rise and Darcie this hits so close to home as my son is friends with them all breaks my heart this could of been my son
Great no dash cameras? Just another police story, no video proof to back up the fairytale.