Man died before sentencing in 101 hit-and-run that caused boy’s death
A 52-year-old man has died before he could be sentenced for a hit-and-run on U.S. Highway 101 that resulted in the death of a boy in Olympia earlier this year, court documents show.
Irven F. Jacobs had pleaded guilty July 31 to the charge of hit-and-run resulting in death, according to court documents, after entering a not-guilty plea at his initial arraignment.
Charging documents accuse Jacobs of striking 11-year-old Isaiah Bermeo with his minivan and driving away on Jan. 27.
Bermeo, who was diagnosed with autism, had been playing outside with his siblings at their grandparent’s house near U.S. 101 and had wandered off, according to charging documents.
Jacobs had allegedly directed two women who wanted to buy heroin and methamphetamine to a house in Olympia and was driving them on northbound 101 when the women heard Jacobs yell something like “What is that?” and felt an impact.
According to interviews with the women included in charging documents, Jacobs braked and pulled off the highway, one of the women ran back and saw they had struck a child and that a witness was performing CPR, and she got back into the van.
They allegedly then continued driving north.
Bermeo was declared dead by doctors at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Jan. 30, according to the charging documents. Jacobs turned himself in to Washington State Patrol after officers found the van he had been driving, ultimately tracing it to him, and the State Patrol released his name and photo as being wanted in connection with the hit-and-run.
The crime carries a standard sentencing range of 31 to 41 months, a maximum term of 10 years, and a maximum fine of $20,000, according to court documents.
A special sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 14. However, Jacobs was pronounced dead just after 5 p.m. that day at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, according to Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock, in what Warnock said was a natural death.
Lt. Ray Brady with Thurston County Sheriff’s Office told The Olympian his understanding is Jacobs had ongoing medical issues, had been seen at the hospital prior to his death, and was transported there due to medical complications before he died.
Jacobs had sent a letter addressed to a Superior Court judge, dated May 10, in which he wrote of “having serious medical issues,” and included that he needed both hips replaced.
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