Chinese student posts $2mln bail on fatal crash charge

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A 19-year-old exchange student from China charged with vehicular homicide was bailed out of King County jail by his mother with a $2 million cashier's check, the Seattle Times reported.

Brenda Gomez, the victim in the deadly hit-and-run crash, is seen in an undated family photo.

The student, Yichun Xu, allegedly ran a stop sign and slammed a newly purchased Mercedes-Benz into a BMW at freeway speeds, killing 25-year-old driver Brenda Gomez-Zapata and injuring three of Gomez-Zapata’s family members in the car, according to the Times.

Ian Goodhew, the deputy chief of staff for the King County Prosecuting Office, told the Times he fears Xu and his mother will flee back to China now that he is free from jail. Xu was ordered to surrender his passport on his release.

“Rarely is a bail of that amount posted,” Goodhew said.

According to court documents, on Nov. 10 Xu was driving with four women, ranging from 17- to 19-years-old, in his car. Xu is a Chinese citizen who was visiting the United States for eight weeks to attend South Puget Sound Community College.

Xu did not have an international driver’s license and had limited driving experience in the United States. He was driving at speeds upwards of 70 MPH on a residential street, police said. Xu reportedly tried to pay police $542 at the time of the crash instead of being booked into jail.

The four women in Xu’s car suffered only minor injuries. Empty alcohol containers were found in the car but prosecutors believe they were from a party Xu and his friends were at the night before, and are not connected to the crash.

 

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