Authorities have issued a nationwide warrant for Ting Ye, a Chinese woman who fled to China following a fatal crash in Bellevue, Washington.
On September 30, Ye, 26, was driving a white 2020 Porsche on 112th Avenue Northeast towards Highway 520 in Bellevue, with her passenger Yabao Liu, 27.
In footage obtained by King 5, the car appeared to lose control, tearing through several intersections before colliding with a cement barricade, flipping in the air, and landing upside down, resulting in Liu's death.
Emergency services were not called to the scene until around 45 minutes later. Upon arrival, they found Liu's body and reportedly detected a strong alcohol smell on Ye. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where she was later discharged on October 6.
According to legal documents, both Ye and Liu, who were Chinese nationals, were in Seattle for work. Although Ye did not provide any information to the authorities, they managed to contact the Chinese company Liu was affiliated with to inform his family.
Three days after her release from the hospital, Ye crossed the Canadian border and boarded a flight to China. Police indicated that an unknown individual who assisted Ye may also face consequences.
Warrant and ongoing investigation: On October 9, King County prosecutors issued a warrant charging Ye with vehicular homicide, setting her bail at $2 million and demanding the surrender of her passport with a prohibition on leaving Washington state. "At that point, she was not free to leave, but she had already left," stated Bellevue police spokesperson Officer Seth Tyler to the Seattle Times.
On October 23, a bench warrant was issued for Ye's arrest when she failed to appear for her arraignment. Tyler mentioned that if Ye re-enters the U.S., the warrant would be flagged, adding that the police are in the process of applying for an Interpol Red Notice, which flags any travel to a country with an extradition treaty with the U.S.
However, there is no extradition treaty between the U.S. and China. "Our plea to [Ye] is that she return and realize that there's a grieving family involved here," stated Tyler. "They really need closure on this. She can bring this matter to a close by returning to the United States."
Authorities are currently collaborating with international law enforcement to locate and apprehend Ye.
Comments
Post a Comment