Woman charged in fatal Bellevue crash fled country, police say – The Seattle Times

A woman charged with vehicular homicide by King County prosecutors has fled to China, a country the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with, according to law enforcement. 

Ting Ye, 26, has been charged in connection with a fatal crash in Bellevue. On Sept. 30, prosecutors allege, Ye was driving a 2020 Porsche on 112th Avenue Northeast toward Highway 520 with Yabao Liu in the passenger seat when she lost control of the car shortly before 4 a.m. The charging documents said Ye was driving recklessly and going over 90 mph. 

The car went airborne, striking several objects and landing upside down, according to charging documents. Liu, 27, died from his injuries at the scene. 

Police and firefighters at the scene smelled alcohol on Ye’s breath, prosecutors said. Blood test results are pending from the toxicology laboratory, according to the charging documents.

Bellevue police spokesperson Officer Seth Tyler said detectives were still trying to develop probable cause for Ye’s arrest when she fled the country. Because the vehicle flipped, Tyler said, it took time to determine who had been in the driver’s seat. Ye had invoked her right to not speak with detectives, and the investigator could not meet with medics who responded to the scene until the following week. 

Ye was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 6. Three days later, she had an acquaintance drive her to Vancouver, B.C., where she got on a flight to China, police say. The warrant was entered into the system on Oct. 10, Tyler said, the day she flew out of Canada. 

“At that point, she was not free to leave, but she had already left,” Tyler said. 

The documents say both Ye and Liu were Chinese nationals working in Seattle. Ye refused to provide information to police about Liu, prosecutors allege, but police were able to find the Chinese company he worked for in Seattle.

King County prosecutors filed the case on Oct. 9 and requested Ye be held on $2 million bail. Prosecutors also asked that she be ordered to turn in her passport and not leave Washington without permission from the court.

The judge issued a bench warrant for Ye’s arrest on Oct. 23, when she did not appear for her arraignment. If she enters U.S. borders again, Tyler said, the national warrant would immediately be flagged. 

Police will also be applying for an Interpol Red Notice, Tyler said. The notice would flag any travel to a country that has an extradition treaty with the U.S.

Tyler said the Police Department will be reviewing its policies to determine if procedure should be changed. 

“Our plea to [Ye] is that she return and realize that there’s a grieving family involved here,” Tyler said. “They really need closure on this. … She can bring this matter to a close by returning to the United States.”