Man arrested for role in downtown Olympia wreck that killed 2 women in July 2025
A 21-year-old man has been arrested on two counts of vehicular homicide for his role in a downtown Olympia crash that killed two pedestrians, according to Thurston County jail information and Superior Court records.
The man was arrested about 2 p.m. Thursday, July 9, in the 200 block of Sherman Street Northwest in west Olympia, jail information shows.
About 5 p.m. July 9, 2025, the drivers of a car and pick-up crashed in the area of Fifth Avenue and Simmons Street near Capitol Lake. The impact of the collision caused the car to careen onto the sidewalk where it hit and killed two women.
They were later identified as Joy Ezindu, 71, of Tumwater, and Carla Gonzales, 62, of Olympia. They died from multiple blunt-force injuries that were caused when the vehicle struck them, Coroner Gary Warnock previously said.
Both drivers remained at the scene and cooperated with police, The Olympian reported.
The car, which was being driven by the 21-year-old, was a Lexus GS 350 and the truck a Ford F-150.
Olympia police Lt. Paul Lower said at the time that the investigation was weeks away from a resolution because some evidence needed to be sent to outside labs for evaluation, The Olympian reported.
Now, that investigation appears to be complete because in June the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued a summons for the suspect to appear in court at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 7, for the “appointment of an attorney and/or arraignment,” court records read.
“Failure to comply will result in the issuance of a bench warrant for your arrest,” the court records read.
The bench warrant was issued, and the 21-year-old was arrested. He appeared in court on Friday, although the court did not address probable cause at that hearing, the records read.
Bail was set at $25,000, which he appears to have posted because he is no longer in jail.
Up next is an omnibus hearing set for 9 a.m. July 29.
One Washington state law firm defines an omnibus hearing as such:
“In Washington, the omnibus hearing is a final checkpoint to ensure both sides are ready for trial. At this hearing, the court reviews a checklist to confirm: discovery is complete, pre-trial motions have been resolved, constitutional and procedural issues have been addressed, and the defendant’s plea remains unchanged.
“If all matters are resolved, a trial date is set,” the definition reads.
Why did prosecutors decide to purse charges against the 21-year-old?
Court records show that airbag recording devices were investigated, and they allegedly revealed for the Lexus that it was accelerating through an intersection at 41 miles per hour, with “no recorded braking.”
“Instead, throttle input was sustained and increased immediately prior to impact,” the records read.
The posted speed limit is 25 mph, according to the court records.
