A 21-year-old Centralia man accused of a deadly road-rage crash on Interstate 5 in Seattle was temporarily released from jail Monday afternoon to attend a memorial viewing for his girlfriend who was killed in the Wednesday collision, court records show. Tyler Percival was treated at Harborview Medical Center before being booked into the King County Jail, where he made his first court appearance Monday. A King County District Court judge found probable cause to hold him on investigation of vehicular homicide and set his bail at $250,000, according to King County prosecutors.
Killed in the crash was Percival’s girlfriend, Andrea Dickey, 23, of Centralia.
At the request of Dickey’s father, King County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mark Larson asked the judge to release Percival from custody at 2 p.m. Monday, with the understanding that Percival’s father would drive his son back to jail by 8 p.m., the records show.
Charges are expected to be filed against Percival on Wednesday, according to Dan Donohoe, spokesman for King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg.
Also Monday, 30-year-old Joseph Gumser of SeaTac — the other driver allegedly involved in the incident — was charged with vehicular homicide and reckless driving for his role in the collision. Gumser and his girlfriend, a 29-year-old Seattle woman, both suffered minor injuries. He remains jailed in lieu of $300,000 bail.
According to charging documents in Gumser’s case, both men admitted to drinking alcohol while attending the Mariners baseball game separately on Wednesday.
They both used the on-ramp from Edgar Martinez Way, with Percival’s vehicle in front of Gumser’s, the charges say. Percival was driving at 10 mph and weaving in his lane, which prompted Gumser to flash his headlights and ride the bumper of Percival’s vehicle, according to charging documents.
Gumser is accused of pulling in front of Percival’s car, slamming on his brakes and forcing Percival’s vehicle to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid a crash. Percival then caught up to Gumser’s vehicle, flashed his lights, tailgated and then rear-ended Gumser’s vehicle after Gumser allegedly slammed on his brakes, the papers say.
A third driver then crashed into Percival’s disabled car, the papers say. That driver was not injured. Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com; on Twitter:@SJGTimes.
