FOLLOWUP: 19-year-old Trevor Muna charged in West Marginal Way crash

Prosecutors now say the 19-year-old driver who lost control on West Marginal Way Tuesday night and smashed into an oncoming car “appeared to be racing” – but not with the driver he hit, who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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The driver of the Audi pictured above, Trevor Muna of Top Hat, is now charged with two counts of vehicular assault. His 20-year-old passenger was seriously hurt and firefighters had to cut him out of the smashed-up car. The charging documents say his injuries include a collapsed lung, broken bones, and broken teeth; we just checked, and he is still at Harborview Medical Center, but was moved out of intensive care today, now in satisfactory condition.

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The 33-year-old woman driving the Scion IQ pictured above, hit by Muna, suffered neck fractures, prosecutors say, and is recovering at home. The charging documents say her husband was driving in front of her, and that, “With horror, he watched the defendant’s car slam into his wife’s car behind him.” Prosecutors say that another driver…

… saw (Muna’s) car and “a black sports car” speeding an estimated 100 mph and weaving around traffic and appeared to be jockeying for position. The defendant appears to have lost control of his car in a gentle left curve of the road. The car slid counter-clockwise and skidded broadside across the lanes into oncoming traffic.

Documents also say “scene evidence appeared to confirm” the high speeds, including “pre-impact tire marks.” People at the scene, including a nurse, told investigators that Muna appeared to be under the influence. As noted in our followup last night, a Seattle Police DUI Squad member called to evaluate Muna noted what seemed to be signs of alcohol and marijuana use, and said Muna admitted to both. Our Thursday report also noted that he is out of jail after posting bond on $50,000 bail; the documents say prosecutors had asked for double that. Muna, who has no criminal record, is due back in court in two weeks to answer the charges.

29 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: 19-year-old Trevor Muna charged in West Marginal Way crash"

  • Bill on Duwamish Head November 4, 2016 (5:27 pm)

    This is just one more tragic outcome to street racing, or speeding along this stretch of 

    roadway. How do we stop this outcome? 

    SPD cannot monitor this stretch of roadway, their resources are stretched too thin as it is.

    I am a big “Civil Libertarian” but the solution is logical, inexpensive, and easy to apply. I am 

    willing to give up my liberty’s for this outcome. I drive this road only 4-6 times a month to get 

    back and forth from the airport, but it is also usually at 4-6am or 12-2 am, the same time that 

    these racing and drunk driving accidents seem to occur.

    The solution is speeding camera’s.  

  • coffee November 4, 2016 (5:29 pm)

    WAY too low of a bail for that, even with the fact that he has no priors.  Stupid younger “adults” doing immature things that seriously impact others lives. 

  • Alki Resident November 4, 2016 (6:14 pm)

    I want every teen to read this article. You are not invincible and you could be the next kid to race and kill somebody. Trevor almost killed someones wife and watched it unfold. Trevor could’ve easily killed his friends who now have broken bones and less teeth. Non of this is worth a race. STOP RACING. Go to a track if it’s in you. And parents STOP buying your kids sports cars. This whole story makes me so damn angry.

  • Soup Ninja November 4, 2016 (6:21 pm)

    Yeah, I’ve been warning KC Sheriff about the dirtbags over here in Top Hat always racing, always reeking of weed, yet nothing has been done. How many more before the boys in brown get around to cracking down on the criminal element?

  • JayDee November 4, 2016 (6:33 pm)

    @ Soup Ninja: Where is Top Hat? I thought it was in Tacoma…

    • miws November 4, 2016 (7:05 pm)

      JayDee, if you are familiar with coming up from South Park, and continue up Myers Way instead of veering to the right to come up Olson Place up to Roxbury, Myers Way eventually weaves into 1st Av S. 

      If you are familiar with where the Barrel Tavern, South Seattle Veterinary are, and where Bernie & Boys (not the current Meat the Live Butcher on 16th, but same ownership) was,  in an old Safeway grocery building, that is the Top Hat area. 

      In regards to Tacoma, you may be thinking Hilltop.

      Mike

    • Marianne November 4, 2016 (7:25 pm)

      Top Hat is just north of Burien around 1st Ave S. There is a transmission  place with a Top Hat and many pot shops.

  • TheKing November 4, 2016 (6:52 pm)

    Growing up on the 70’s you understood there were consequences for your actions. I didnt live in fear but I knew if I did wrong I would pay for it. The answers aren’t speeding cameras and counseling. It is consequences. We have gone down this slippery slope of coddling criminals to the point society is giving laws the finger. 

    • Mike November 5, 2016 (7:36 am)

      Pretty much.  Although this person was 19 so they’ll be charged as an adult and the victim can and should sue the driver.  The laws won’t punish people with adequate consequences, so you need to  take advantage of the court system and lawyers, destroy the persons well being financially for the rest of their life in order to make a point.

  • miws November 4, 2016 (7:13 pm)

    <iframe src=”https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1478311978814!6m8!1m7!1sP_q2euV71qN0WEA5UXsrtw!2m2!1d47.50550453851904!2d-122.3334656589833!3f10.64!4f7.040000000000006!5f1.5606156154367823″ width=”600″ height=”450″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border:0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

  • Brittany November 4, 2016 (8:32 pm)

    I saw this whole accident happen, I am a eyewitness to this. This pisses me off!! He got out on bail?! You have got to be kidding me. His fricken friend was unconscious and almost killed the other person also. Screw this son of a bitch! I believe wholeheartedly in karma and he will get his karma! 

  • WSEd November 4, 2016 (8:56 pm)

    So he was racing an Audi TT at the age of 19.  Was that daddy’s car or is this a case of affluenza and daddy bought him that killing machine.  19 year old boys shouldn’t have access to more than a GEO metro in my opinion.

    • WSB November 4, 2016 (9:31 pm)

      The probable-cause documents said the car was co-owned by Muna and someone else, different surname, different city of residence.

    • Mike November 5, 2016 (7:40 am)

      Maybe you didn’t realize it, but a MKI Audi TT is about $3-6k depending on condition, not exactly expensive.

      • WSEd November 5, 2016 (3:28 pm)

        Yes,

        I do.  I could also afford nice used 911s for my kids but that still doesn’t mean it is an appropriate car for a 19 year old “boy”.  

        • Mike November 5, 2016 (6:11 pm)

          Not “boy”, he’s 19, he’s an adult.  He’s old enough to enlist in the military and serve in Afghanistan, with a finger on the trigger of the most lethal weapons on the planet.  He will be held accountable as an adult for his actions, he can drive whatever he wants.  His actions, his decisions, he needs to be held accountable for his actions.  The Audi TT didn’t make him race, it’s actually not even that fast.  The vehicle isn’t the problem, it’s the actions.  People race lawn mowers, should he only use a push mower?  Did his parents even buy him this vehicle?  Did he work to buy it?  Who knows, who cares, it’s totally irrelevant.

    • Mis taken November 22, 2016 (8:57 pm)

      Actually no this young man bought this car himself. 

  • David November 4, 2016 (11:16 pm)

    I work at the airport and drive that stretch several times a week–often late at night. Once I felt like I’d wandered into a scene from Fast and the Furious. The fist thing I noticed was a car from the opposite side of the street made a u-turn right in front of me. Then another one made a u-turn behind me (afterwards, I realized they were setting up for a drag race).  The entire portion of the long straight part of West Marginal Way was lined with cars parked up on the curb and bike path area. I’d say there were easily over 100 spectators and at least 15 cars of the same make and model racing two at a time.  Coincidentally, I came upon the aftermath of this crash too at about 1:30 a.m.

    You know I have no expectation of privacy when I’m driving on city streets; I’d be in favor of speed cameras too.     

    • Andy November 5, 2016 (5:53 am)

      I see people making u-turns all the time on California Avenue between Oregon and Edmonds. U-turns used to be against the law, but apparently no more. I’m also seeing more and more people going like hell and running red lights in West Seattle. All of this during the daylight hours! Things seem to be rapidly slipping out of control. I expect, with all of the continued development and the influx of more and more people into West Seattle, things will only continue to spiral down hill. It reminds me of my high school biology class when I first learned of the “rats in a cage” syndrome.

  • Amy Thomson November 5, 2016 (4:57 am)

    I live on the hillside above West Marginal.  I hear grinding gears and revving engines late at night all the time.  It’s way past time that somebody (the cops, preferably) did something about this!

  • 22blades November 5, 2016 (7:54 am)

    I don’t think cameras would make a difference. I think the problem is a bigger picture problem with licensing in the state of Washington. There is something wrong with our system when wholly inadequately trained drivers can be licensed to carry this 3000 lb lethal weapon. I’m not just complaining to complain;

    1. WSP should take back drivers education standards and get private contractors out.

    2. Incoming out of state drivers should take the whole test over again.

    3. Drivers Ed’ should include car handling exercises for our local conditions like wet skidpad exercises. Heck, it could be fun. The present training is to pass the test of traffic laws. There’s more to good driving than that.

    4. Revisit age appropriate licensing standards on both sides of the age scale; youth and seniors.

    5. Pay for these higher driver standards with the applicants paying up front. You don’t see traffic fines until it’s too late. If you invested your hard earned money upfront, you might think twice about throwing your investment out with negligent driving.

    WE have become lousy drivers. Period. It’s not a right. It’s a skill.

    • WSEd November 5, 2016 (3:21 pm)

      We should adopt the Finnish system.  About two years of active drivers education and thousands of dollars.  It’s like getting a pilot’s license here.

    • AMD November 5, 2016 (4:04 pm)

      None of those solve the problem of bad judgment, which is what caused this accident.  The place to have prevented this was in teaching this kid he shouldn’t be racing in the first place, not making sure that he’s an expert driver so when he does make the poor decision to race on a public street in an urban area he can better control his vehicle at 100 mph.

  • Kim November 5, 2016 (5:38 pm)

    AMD–well said!

  • H November 5, 2016 (6:36 pm)

    He made $50k bail.

  • H November 6, 2016 (12:31 pm)

    Thanks WSB. I didn’t realize the two were different.

  • WSGirl November 7, 2016 (9:43 am)

    After having just personally gone through the financially hard-hitting and seriously time consuming process of receiving a “negligent driving” charge, trust me, this guy will get put through the ringer. Hopefully his parents will make him pay the legal fees, fines, and all the things that are associated with this kind of crime, and hopefully he will take the court-ordered classes (i.e. DUI victims panel among other things) seriously… That certainly did hit me hard. Hopefully he will learn his lesson and not be a repeat-offender,  but he will certainly eventually have the opportunity to be. 

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