A one-car collision on Auburn’s Lea Hill took the life of one person, injured another, and knocked out power to a large swath of Lea Hill and parts of north Auburn early Wednesday morning.
According to Auburn police, a vehicle went off the roadway and collided with a power pole at about 1 a.m. near Southeast 320th and 116th. Firefighters from the Valley Regional Fire Authority responded to the crash at 1:06 a.m. and found flames coming from the vehicle.
A nearby resident pulled the driver of the vehicle before flames engulfed it. The resident got the driver out first before realizing there was a teenage passenger still trapped inside. He tried to go back again.
“The car had burst into flames and he was unable to pull the second occupant out of the car,” said Auburn Police Commander Mike Hirman.
The passenger died at the scene, police reported. Her name had not been released, but investigators said she was a Chinese National studying at Green River Community College, as was the driver.
King County Medic One transported the injured man to Harborview Medical Center with undisclosed injuries.
Investigators concluded the driver was speeding east on Southeast 320th, got airborne on a rise in the road, lost control and slammed the vehicle into a power pole.
