EVERETT — The driver who led a police chase Oct. 1 before causing U.S. 2 to be closed for hours pleaded not guilty in late October, and will face a jury trial in Snohomish County Superior Court this year.
Phillip Kay, of Seattle, and his girlfriend had given a man a ride home to Sultan that night.
The man had sought fentanyl at a casino in Fife. He met with Kay, a drug dealer, to buy drugs from him. During their time together, the pair learned about the man’s recently purchased Mercedes-Benz sedan, and it led to them giving him a ride home in the man’s Mercedes in the early morning.
Along on the ride, the prosecutor’s charging documents say Kay demanded the Sultan man give up money, and at one point the man had
a gun pointed in his face. Kay basically extorted his drug buyer, the charging document suggests.
After refusing to give back the keys, they had the man go into his mom’s house in Sultan to get a wad of money. He walked into the house saying to call 911. Kay didn’t wait around and drove off with the car.
A sheriff’s deputy tried to do a traffic stop on the Mercedes while it was still in Sultan. The man pressed on, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic on U.S. 2 during the 6 a.m. commute on the flats between
Sultan and Monroe, with the deputy now in pursuit. On the highway, Kay flogged that 2007 Mercedes to 100 mph at times, according to the deputy’s estimates.
Just before entering Monroe, Kay ran over spike strips that damaged the tires. After rushing through Monroe, he wrecked on U.S. 2 at Westwick Road, going into a ditch.
Three pursuing police cars collided with each other to avoid hitting the car
when it suddenly stopped upon hitting the ditch.
U.S. 2 was closed for more than five hours for the investigation, snarling morning traffic both directions.
Kay faces charges of first-degree robbery for taking the car with the threat of violence, possession of a stolen vehicle and for eluding.
