Second driver charged in Federal Way crash that killed high school student

King County prosecutors filed vehicular homicide charges against a second driver involved in a fatal collision in Federal Way on Friday evening. The first defendant, Roberto Chris Emory, 29, was previously charged with vehicular homicide involving driving under the influence and disregarding the safety of others.

The crash occurred at approximately 10:45 p.m. on October 23 at the intersection of Pacific Highway South and South 304th Street. Court documents state that Emory, driving a Ford F-150, was executing a left turn onto South 304th Street when a second driver in a Lexus entered the scene. The 20-year-old Lexus driver allegedly changed into the carpool lane without using a turn signal while traveling at speeds exceeding 85 mph in a 45 mph zone.

The Lexus driver swerved to avoid the pickup truck but did not brake before the vehicles collided. The impact rotated Emory's truck 180 degrees and sent the Lexus onto the southwest sidewalk. The vehicle struck 16-year-old Dee-Jay Tuiasosopo, who was standing at the location. The force of the hit propelled the teen approximately 121 feet, and he died at the scene from his injuries.

Emory remained at the scene, where officers detected a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. They found empty containers of Hurricane IPA near his truck. Emory told police he had consumed a tall can of the beer, and a preliminary breath test indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.170 percent. The Lexus driver also stayed at the scene and was taken to a hospital for possible injuries.

Tuiasosopo was a student-athlete at Federal Way High School. He had participated in a football game located about one block from the crash site earlier that evening. More than 100 people gathered at the intersection over the weekend for a community vigil in his honor. His family described his energy and presence as reaching far beyond what they realized, noting how many lives he touched.

Emory is currently jailed on bail set at $200,000. Prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for the Lexus driver, also with a bail amount of $200,000. Police have not yet made the second arrest as of this week.