Driver crashes into pillar by West Seattle Bridge, killing passenger

SEATTLE – A 20-year-old driver crashed into a concrete pillar at a high rate of speed Tuesday by the West Seattle Bridge onramp, killing his passenger and injuring himself, police said.

The driver was heading east on Southwest Spokane Street about 7:30 a.m. when he lost control and crashed, according to Seattle police. Debris shattered the glass of a nearby bus stop.

Seattle Fire Department medics removed the 16-year-old passenger from the vehicle and took him to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died, according to a Seattle Police Department blotter post.

The driver, who showed signs of impairment, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide and will be booked into the King County Jail after he’s released from Harborview, where he’s being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said Wednesday.

The crash is still under investigation.

Over the weekend, an 18-year-old driver crashed into a tree in Kent, killing his passenger and seriously injuring himself.

Kent police initially said they suspected the driver was intoxicated. They didn’t immediately respond to a request for additional information Wednesday.