One of the critically-injured victims of the Dec. 18 five-car collision on SR-509 in Burien has died from her injuries, according to the Washington State Patrol (read our previous coverage here). The woman was identified as Barbara Eakin, 54, of Marysville. This now means that the suspect who caused the crash – Christopher Wittman, 24, of Tukwila – will likely face a higher charge of vehicular homicide. Previously he was charged with two counts of Vehicular Assault and one count of Felony Hit and Run. Wittman was allegedly impaired by alcohol on Dec. 18 when he crashed his car through a fence and over an embankment onto SR-509 and collided with the victims’ car. Barbara Eakin and her husband Clay received life threatening injuries in the collision. The defendant allegedly fled from the collision scene on foot but was arrested a short time later and booked into jail where he is being held on $200,000 bail. According to the WSP:

The suspect vehicle (#1) was headed eastbound on S. 116th Street when it failed to stop for a stop sign. It went over an embankment and came to rest on southbound SR-509 on its roof. Vehicles two, three, four and five traveling southbound SR-509 approaching 128th struck it. Vehicles one and two came to rest on left shoulder in lane two. Vehicle three came to rest in the ditch on the right side. Vehicle four came to rest on the right shoulder and vehicle five came to rest in lane one.
Police said Eakin and her husband were driving to SeaTac Airport southbound on SR-509 shortly before 5 a.m. Dec. 18 when Wittman, driving on a road above the freeway, lost control of the Chevrolet Malibu he was driving. Wittman’s vehicle rolled down an embankment and landed upside-down in the southbound lanes of 509, where the Eakins’ Mazda hit it. The Mazda was then hit by three additional vehicles, closing the freeway for several hours. Police say that Wittman fled on foot but was tracked down and arrested. They added that he smelled of intoxicants and that alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the crash.]]>

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3 replies on “Woman critically injured in Dec. 18 collision on SR-509 in Burien has died”

  1. I am so sorry to hear that Mrs. Eakins has died. I am also glad to hear that the driver responsible for her death will likely face charges of vehicular homicide. He had no business being on the road.

  2. So sorry to hear about her passing. Condolences to her family and loved ones.
    DRUNK DRIVING IS NOT OKAY. Until the state takes the offense more seriously (by taking away the drivers license permanently after the first offense) nothing will change and innocent people will die because of this. Drunk driving on any level is a selfish act. I hope that the suspect gets exactly what he deserves.

  3. This is a jury I would like to be on. It seems like drunk drivers usually survive the carnage they inflict on others. I am so sad for this woman’s family.

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