Reporter staff
Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist today charged Brian Todd James Sicade, 22, with murder in the second degree and vehicular homicide after leading Auburn police on a high-speed chase on Interstate 5, crashing a stolen car and killing the passenger, Victor Wilson, on Feb. 4.
Sicade also was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and driving with a suspended license in the third degree.
The defendant was arraigned today in Pierce County Superior Court and bail set at $750,000.
“The defendant senselessly turned a misdemeanor into murder when he chose to speed away from police and eventually, predictably, crashed,” Lindquist said. “The defendant will be held fully accountable.”
At about 11:30 p.m., Auburn police officers started to follow a stolen white Monte Carlo driving westbound on State Route 18 near Booth Bridge. Police followed the Monte Carlo at approximately 80 mph as it exited from westbound SR 18 to southbound I-5. Officers pulled in behind the car and activated their emergency lights and siren.
According to charging papers, Sicade responded to the emergency lights and sirens by accelerating to approximately 100 mph. Officers pursued the speeding vehicle southbound on I-5, weaving through traffic. Just prior to the Port of Tacoma Road exit, Sicade moved to the far right and passed vehicles on the shoulder at speeds later estimated to be between 105 mph and 115 mph. The defendant then crossed all lanes of southbound I-5 and crashed into the cable barrier and guard rail on the south side of the freeway.
Both occupants of the vehicle, Sicade and Wilson, were ejected from the car.
Auburn police officers immediately stopped, blocked the freeway, called for medical aid and requested Washington State Patrol to respond to the scene. Police rendered First-Aid until fire and medical personnel arrived on scene and took over.
Wilson never regained consciousness and was declared brain dead at St. Joseph’s Hospital two days later. Medical records and autopsy results showed Wilson suffered “severe traumatic brain injury without meaningful chance of recovery.”
Sicade had an outstanding bench warrant and his license was suspended. The defendant was transported to the hospital. At the hospital, a State Patrol trooper spoke with Sicade and could smell the odor of intoxicants, noticed his eyes were bloodshot and he was being irrational and at times aggressive. A blood test revealed the defendant’s alcohol level to be 0.15.
During a subsequent visit to Harborview Medical Center, Sicade admitted he was the driver of the vehicle.
