On Oct. 14, Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman smoked spice, but about an hour later “thought he was fine to drive,” according to Bellevue, Wash., police. That’s when Coleman was going 60 miles per hour in a 35 zone before crashing his truck into another vehicle right in front of him, then kept hitting the accelerator until both vehicles flipped over, police said. Witnesses helped Coleman get out of the truck but he ran away, barefoot. An officer found him several blocks away.
Police today released a lengthy collection of what they called their “primary case paperwork” to the media, explaining the circumstances surrounding Coleman’s arrest that night. Witnesses told the police that about 6:20 p.m. Coleman’s Dodge Ram was weaving in and out of the center turn lane, before accelerating rapidly and rear ending a Honda Civic traveling at a normal rate of speed. Coleman left his foot on the accelerator for “several seconds” without once hitting the brakes, pushing the Civic about 260 feet, until both vehicles left the road and flipped over going up a hillside, according to police. The Civic’s driver suffered a fractured clavicle and an unspecified head injury.
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After the crash multiple witnesses tried to help Coleman, describing him to police as “delirious and aggravated” and “incoherent.” He was helped from his truck and left, wearing a black T-shirt, black pants, and no shoes. A responding officer picked him up two blocks away, and Coleman later said he was trying to call his agent.
According to police, Coleman said he was deaf and had them activate his hearing aids before being read his rights. He told them he’d smoked spice about an hour before the crash and didn’t remember anything about it. Police said Coleman failed multiple field sobriety tests, and was booked in jail. Samples of Coleman’s blood also were taken from the hospital but the reports released today leave off with the results as “pending.”
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Coleman’s lawyer, Stephen Hayne, told the Seattle Times: “I have seen the test results and I can be absolutely confident that there was nothing in his blood that would have impaired his ability to drive. … Our position is that he wasn’t driving recklessly and that he didn’t commit either of these offenses.’’
A search of Coleman’s truck revealed, among other more mundane possessions, the following items:
- A blue and red multicolor glass spoon with a black tarry residue
- An open package labeled “F’d Up! Aromatic Therapy”
- Three five gram pouches of Mad Pitbulls Aromatic Therapy
- A hard candy called “EdiPure Lemon Drops” containing 100 mg of THC
- An open package of a hard candy labeled “Red Delicious” containing THC, with some loose candies on the center console
- Fruit roll-ups labeled “Watermelon Ribbons” containing 250 mg of THC
- ACT mouthwash
- Rohto Cool Redness Reliever eyedrops
- 10 mm magazine containing 10 live 10mm rounds
- Two slippers near the pedals
The Bellevue Police forwarded the findings from their investigation to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office today, recommending that Coleman be charged with vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run.
Photo of the crash scene via AP
E-mail: kevin.draper@deadspin.com | PGP key + fingerprint | DM: @kevinmdraper
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