On Wednesday, April 7, 2021, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed charges against Irene Plancarte-Bustos, 25, of White Center, for Vehicular Homicide and Hit and Run for causing a 3-car fatal collision on Ambaum Blvd. SW in Burien on Tuesday.

Charging documents allege that Plancarte-Bustos was racing another vehicle when the white sedan she was driving struck a blue sedan, spinning it into oncoming traffic in the southbound lanes of the 11800 block of Ambaum Blvd. SW, causing the fatal collision.

Police say that Plancarte-Bustos was speeding northbound in a sedan in the #2 lane of Ambaum, and another white sedan was driving northbound in the #1 lane. A witness says that it appeared the white sedan was racing a black vehicle when it struck the blue sedan, spinning it into oncoming traffic in the southbound lanes of Ambaum Blvd SW, where it was struck by a truck.

There were two occupants in the blue sedan, a male and a female who police say appeared to be in their 30s. Both were pronounced deceased at the scene by medics. Neither has yet been identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Charges allege that Plancarte-Bustos was driving under the influence, and that she failed a field sobriety test.

She also had her 3-year old son in the car at the time of the fatal collision. Neither of them were injured.

“I responded to the scene to evaluate Irene for signs of impairment,” a Burien officer stated in charging documents. “Upon arrival I observed that Irene was standing in the parking lot with her son and she was out of the vehicle. As she paced around the parking lot she was very unsteady on her feet. I spoke with Irene and asked her what happened and she told me that she was in a rush. I asked Irene where she was coming from and she told me that she was coming from Beacon Hill where she works and that she was driving home. I asked Irene how the collision occurred and she told me that she didn’t remember. While speaking with Irene I observed that her eyes were bloodshot and watery and her speech was heavily slurred.”

Plancarte-Bustos denied that she had been drinking. The officer performed a field test on Plancarte-Bustos, and said “Based upon my observations of Irene I determined that she was impaired and unable to operate a vehicle safely.”

She was booked into King County Jail for investigation of vehicular homicide and hit and run.