One young life lost in fatal hit and run accident

BY CHUCK TUCK | JOURNAL REPORTER

Machias Road closed while police search
for alleged suspect

A week ago Wednesday, tragedy struck four victims claming the life a 25-year-old man from Lynnwood.

The other victims were a 40-year-old flatbed tow-truck driver from Granite Falls, a pregnant 22-year-old female also from Lynnwood, and 29-year-old Kelly C. Nickell of Everett.

In reports released last week, Nickell was the driver of a Ford Taurus that was headed southbound on N. Machias Road.

The vehicle crossed the dividing lines of the two lane road near the intersection of 16th Street NE and North Machias Road colliding nearly head-on with the tow-truck driven by the 40-year-old man.

The collision was called in around 3 p.m. and the Lake Stevens Fire Department arrived shortly after only to find Nickell had fled the scene on foot.

Pronounced dead at the scene was 25-year-old Chauncy James Shields, a male passenger of the Ford Taurus.

His companion, a pregnant 22-year-old female was seriously injured, and could not move herself from the backseat of the vehicle.
The female was extricated and transported to an Everett hospital to treat her injuries.

The driver of the tow-truck was not seriously injured but taken to an Everett hospital for observation and treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Nickell had fled the scene on foot with unknown injuries.

Deputies contained the area, and a search ensued for Nickell, the driver of the Taurus.

The Sheriff’s Office helicopter and K-9 units were brought in to assist with the search.

Shortly after, Nickell was found about 1.5 miles north of the accident site running through Lake Connor Park then hiding in some bushes where he was apprehended.

Nickell was then taken to an Everett hospital to check out any injuries and was later booked into the Snohomish County Jail late Wednesday night on one count of vehicular homicide and one count of hit and run.

The woman and tow-truck driver were both treated and released from the hospital.

The collision remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Collision Investigation Unit, including details surrounding how the crash occurred.

However, at the time of apprehension, Nickell did have alcohol on his breath and the vehicle he was driving had empty and full beer bottles inside the vehicle according to a police affidavit filed in court.

On Thursday, Nickell appeared in Everett District Court for a brief time at which time a judge set his bail at $250,000.

Nickell’s criminal record shows a scattering of burglaries, drug possession convictions in Colorado and an arrest last year in Snohomish County for a parole violation.

He was sited as recent as last month for a speeding infraction and had three other citations for driving with a suspended license.

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