Eatonville, WA – An anonymous tip led to the arrest of a 37-year old Roy man suspected of striking and killing a bicyclist on State Route 7 at 320th Street East Early Thursday morning in Eatonville.
According to a press release from the Washington State Patrol, on the morning of August 9th, 2018, Susan Rainwater of Eastonville was riding her bicycle on the Northbound Shoulder of State Route 7 approaching 320th Street East. Sometime between 9:21 a.m. and 9:24 a.m., Rainwater was struck by a vehicle, also traveling Northbound, after the vehicle left the roadway and hit her bicycle from behind.
Photo: WSP Trooper Johnna Batiste
Washington State Patrol Detectives (WSP) were able to locate fragments from what they believed to be the front headlight assembly of a dark colored vehicle on scene.
Photo: WSP Trooper Johnna Batiste
On Friday, August 10th, 2018 around 8:00 a.m., the WSP obtained an anonymous tip received by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. The tip included a vehicle license plate number and described front end damage to the right side headlight assembly of a pickup truck.
This tip lead WSP Detectives to the location and arrest of 37-year old Jeremy Simon on Tuesday morning. Simon was booked into the Pierce County Jail for Vehicular homicide and hit and run resulting in a death.
Troopers say Simon is known to drive a 1986 Chevrolet K-10 pickup registered to his father. Simon admitted to detectives that he fled the scene after striking Rainwater.
The anonymous tip came after a picture tweeted of broken car parts found at the scene received more than 600 comments on Reddit.com from car enthusiasts and mechanics around the nation. One commenter, who identified himself as a Maryland State Vehicle Inspector, narrowed the parts in the picture to a mid-1980’s Chevrolet truck headlight bezel.
Photo: WSP Trooper Johnna Batiste
The WSP and their detectives would like to thank the community for their assistance in providing numerous tips and leads that helped solve this case.
Simon is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, August 15th, 2018 in Pierce County Superior Court.
Information Provided by Trooper JM Batiste, WSP
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