KING COUNTY, Wash. — An 18-year-old man who is accused of causing the deaths of four people and seriously injuring two others in a Renton car crash plead not guilty in a King County court on Monday morning.
Chase Jones is charged with four counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault with aggravating injury and reckless driving. He appeared via Zoom from his hospital bed, as he still recovers from his own injuries as a result of the crash.
On March 19, the deadly crash happened on 140th Avenue Southeast in Renton. Four people were killed, three were seriously injured, including Jones, and an eighth person suffered minor injuries.
Andrea Hudson, 38, was carpooling five kids -- two of whom were her own children -- when Jones allegedly ran a red light. Charging documents claim Jones was driving 112 mph when he hit the minivan "at full throttle without braking."
Those killed have been identified as Eloise and Matilda "Tilly" Wilcoxson, 12 and 13, Buster Brown, 12, and Hudson. Based on the initial investigation, the King County Sheriff's Office said speed seems to have played a factor in the collision.
The documents said investigators found this was Jones' third vehicle he has totaled in a crash involving high speeds in 11 months. This includes a May 2023 crash when Jones, then 17, can be seen on police body camera video saying, "I was definitely going above the speed limit," minutes after crashing into another driver.
Jones' defense attorney asked for the defendant to be released on his own recognizance, which King County prosecutors objected to. Parents of three of the victims spoke in court, and Jones' bail amount was subsequently set at $100,000. Jones is also required to be placed on electronic home monitoring if he posts bail and would be restricted from driving any motor vehicle.
The mother of the fallen Wilcoxson sisters spoke to KING 5 about her daughters just over a week ago.
"It has been such a joy to watch these kids grow up,” said Rivka Wilcoxson. "Matilda was an avid plant enthusiast and a bookworm, and Eloise loved to play fiddle tunes on her violin and go running with her bestie, Buster."