Renton man pleads not guilty to vehicular manslaughter charges after deadly car crash on I-405 | UPDATE


May 25, 2012 · Updated 11:44 AM 

The driver of a car that crashed into a barrier on Interstate 405 in Bellevue April 14, killing a 21-year-old resident, pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter charges Thursday.

The front-seat passenger was killed in the wreck, which followed an attempt by Viorel G. Palanchuk to flee police, according to court documents.

Police first saw Palanchuk's car, a black BMW, driving recklessly near Bellevue Square. According to court documents, Palanchuk failed to stop at a stop sign near the mall, and police attempted to pull him over. Palanchuk sped up to try and get away, and the officer fell back and turned off his lights but continued following. Officers saw the car run multiple red lights on Northeast Second Street. Palanchuk attempted to enter Interstate 405, and the car crashed into the barrier where Northeast Sixth Street dead ends.

The passenger in the front seat died at the scene, while another passenger, a female sitting in the backseat was screaming out in pain from a broken femur.

According to court documents, Palanchuk asked a witness to drive him away from the scene. He also resisted arrest.

According to court documents, Palanchuk smelled of alcohol, and toxicology results remained pending.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.