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Authorities in the United States have issued a nationwide warrant for the arrest of Ting Ye, a Chinese woman who fled to China after a fatal crash in Bellevue, Washington.
The incident occurred on September 30 when Ye, 26, was driving a white 2020 Porsche on 112th Avenue Northeast towards Highway 520 in Bellevue. Ye had a passenger, Yabao Liu, 27, in the car with her. Footage obtained by King 5 shows Ye losing control of the vehicle, which then plows through several intersections before crashing into a cement barricade. The impact caused the car to flip over and tragically killed Liu.
Emergency responders were not called to the scene until about 45 minutes later. When they arrived, they found Liu’s lifeless body and noticed a strong smell of alcohol on Ye. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center and was released on October 6.
Court documents reveal that both Ye and Liu, who are Chinese citizens, were in Seattle for work. Although Ye did not provide any information to the police, authorities were able to inform Liu’s family by reaching out to the Chinese company he worked for.
Just three days after being discharged from the hospital, Ye crossed the Canadian border and boarded a flight to China. Police are now considering taking action against an unidentified individual who assisted Ye in her escape.
On October 9, a warrant was issued by King County prosecutors charging Ye with vehicular homicide. Her bail has been set at $2 million, and she has been ordered to surrender her passport and remain in Washington state. However, as Bellevue police spokesperson Officer Seth Tyler explained, Ye had already left the country before the arrest warrant was issued.
A bench warrant was subsequently issued on October 23 when Ye failed to appear for her arraignment. Tyler stated that if Ye were to reenter the United States, the warrant would be flagged. Police are also in the process of applying for an Interpol Red Notice, which would alert authorities in countries that have an extradition treaty with the US. Unfortunately, there is no extradition treaty between the US and China.
“We urge [Ye] to return and understand that a grieving family is involved,” Tyler pleaded. “They need closure on this matter. She can bring this to a close by coming back to the United States.”
Authorities are currently collaborating with international law enforcement agencies in the search for Ting Ye.
