Victim of fatal crash near Hobart identified; suspect to be released

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% The victim killed in a crash with a fleeing suspect in the Mirrormont/Hobart area Tuesday has been identified while the suspect who struck him is set to be released from jail.

Police said on Tuesday morning, Delmar Young was weaving in and out of traffic with his baby in the back seat, when he slammed into another driver on Issaquah-Hobart Road, east of Renton.  The child was not hurt.

Police tried to pull him over when he was seen driving erratically but said Young failed to stop.

The driver struck by Young was Mike Brooks, 53, from Maple Valley. He was driving to work when his SUV was hit head-on by Young, according to investigators.

Brooks died at the scene. He leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 8 and 10.

Brooks was killed on his way to work on the Microsoft campus where he worked in food service. Brooks spent more than a decade working in hospitality and food service at Crystal Mountain Resort.

"He lived for his wife and kids," said David Stevenson, Brooks' father-in-law. "Everything was built around his wife and kids. We're just devastated, because in an instant, on a beautiful sunny morning, he's gone for no reason."

Young has no criminal history. He is being released Wednesday pending results of toxicology reports. Detectives said they need more time to investigate.

Brooks' family cannot understand why Young is being released.

"Whatever was in him or wasn't in him, whatever motivated him, that's irrelevant, " said Stevenson. "We are responsible for our decisions. He made them all, and he killed a man."

Brooks' children were told about their dad's death after school on Tuesday. Hours later, their dog had to be put to sleep, because he had cancer.

The community is trying to help the Brooks family. Click here to see how. 

Cox Media Group