A Kenmore woman accused of killing a man from her neighborhood in a hit-and-run accident pleaded not guilty on Thursday in King County Superior Court.
Sydney Katelane Jones, 24, and the family of Joseph David Humphreys, whom she is accused of killing, openly wept in court as the charges were read. Jones, who faces 3 1/2 years in prison if convicted, was escorted from the courtroom by her lawyer with a coat draped over her head.
Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler ruled that Jones is prohibited from driving a motor vehicle, drinking alcohol or using any drugs as a condition of her release on bail. Jones previously posted a bond for her $25,000 bail. Her next court date is set for Dec. 5.
Jones is accused of hitting and killing Humphreys, 31, just after midnight on Oct. 21 while attempting to light a cigarette.
She told police that the accident occurred while she was “driving to the store,” south in the 18400 block of 62nd Ave. NE. Humphreys was also walking south on the side of the Kenmore street, which has no sidewalks. Jones allegedly struck Humphreys with the front right side of the truck, causing damage to the hood of the vehicle, front headlight and side mirror, according to court documents.
Jones called 911 at approximately 1:26 a.m. to report that she was out walking her dog and found an unconscious man on the side of the road. She stated that the “body was all twisted and looked like he was hit by a car because she could see car parts on the ground,” the documents continue.
Humphreys was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel.
Jones spoke with a deputy and never identified herself as the driver of the truck that struck the man. The deputy told Jones she was no longer needed at the scene and she walked home.
Jones turned herself in to police late in the afternoon on Oct. 21 at Kenmore City Hall. She told investigators she was “probably driving a little faster than she should have. She was lighting her cigarette when she felt a bump. She looked up and did not see anything.”
Jones continued on to the store where she accidentally hit a light pole.
“She got out of the truck and saw the damage. She thought that it was a lot of damage for a little hit,” the documents continue. After returning home, she went for a walk to see what she had hit in the road.
She said that after hearing media reports that police were looking for a Ford truck “it made sense to her that she was the one.”
Jones does not have a valid driver’s license in Washington state and reported to Court Services that she is attending out-patient substance abuse treatment.
