A driver accused of killing her passenger when she allegedly drunkenly lost control of her Porsche and crashed on a Washington highway has left the country.
Ting Ye, 26, was charged with vehicular homicide and bail was set at $2 million – but she quickly fled to her home country of China before she could be arrested.
New traffic camera footage showed the horrific moment Ye allegedly drove the white sports car at 100 miles per hour, causing the vehicle to crash on September 30.
She damaged her Porsche 911 around 4 a.m. after it went airborne near 108th Ave NE and SR 520 in Bellevue — and police believe she was driving under the influence.
Her passenger, 27-year-old Yabao Liu, died in the accident. He and Ye had to be removed from the badly damaged vehicle. It is unclear what their relationship was to each other.
Ting Ye, 26, was charged with vehicular homicide and bail was set at $2 million – but she quickly fled to her home country of China before she could be arrested. Since she is no longer in the country, Ye’s case has since been escalated and turned over to the US Department of Justice
New traffic camera footage showed the horrific moment Ye allegedly lost control of the white sports car on September 30 and crashed the vehicle she was driving
Both Ye and Liu are from China and were in Washington for work, records show.
According to court documents, a first responder noticed a “strong odor of alcohol coming from the defendant’s breath” after the accident.
Bellevue police believe Ye was released from Harborview Medical Center with minor injuries before crossing the border into Canada and fleeing to China.
Her escape came just days before the King County District Attorney’s Office filed a vehicular homicide charge and issued a warrant for her arrest.
Since she is no longer in the country, Yes’ case has now been escalated and turned over to the US Department of Justice.
There is no extradition order between the U.S. and China, meaning Beijing is under no obligation to force Ye to return to America for trial.
In Washington, vehicular homicide is punishable by a prison sentence of between six and a half and eight and a half years.
Former US ambassador to China Gary Locke said: “The story is not over yet.”
He added: “Yes, she was able to evade the warrant, but if she were ever to travel to another country, let’s say to Europe for business or pleasure, to a territory, to a country that actually has an extradition treaty with the United States .”States whereby upon her entry into this country she will be flagged by Interpol and subject to extradition to the United States if the Government of the United States so desires.”
In the picture: The white sports car, which was allegedly driven by the Chinese woman, overturned and crashed after the collision
The mangled wreckage of the Porsche 911 after it flew off the highway at more than 100 miles per hour
Video footage shows the dramatic moment when the car hit the side of the road and rolled over
In Washington, vehicular homicide is punishable by a prison sentence of between six and a half and eight and a half years
Bellevue Police Public Information Officer Seth Tyler said, “Based on the skid marks and evidence left at the scene of the accident, it was determined that the car was traveling well over 100 miles per hour.”
“The vehicle hit the barrier there and was actually thrown into the air and hit the side of the bridge where it came to rest.”
Police also say Ye was released from the hospital without their knowledge.
He said: “We were not notified by hospital staff. My understanding is that she would not be released quickly due to her injuries and we therefore expected that she would remain in hospital for some time.”
“The arrest warrant was not yet in the system, she was not banned from leaving the country at that point and so unfortunately there was a delay.”
According to court documents, a first responder noticed a “strong odor of alcohol coming from the defendant’s breath” after the accident.
“The warrant was not issued until a few days later, at which point she had her court date scheduled for last Tuesday, but she failed to show up.”
“We just want to make it clear to Ms. Ye that she is wanted for homicide. We need them to talk to us.”
“She has a warrant in the system, if she ever attempts to enter the United States she will be arrested immediately.”
“She just needs to come back and take care of this so the victim’s family can move on.”
In a statement, the Bellevue Police Department said it is working with federal authorities and international law enforcement partners to arrest Ye.
They said: “It is imperative that she is aware of the seriousness of her situation and the possible consequences of bypassing the legal process.”