Investigators say initial findings point to reckless driving, with alcohol and drug being suspected contributing factors.
BREMERTON, Wash. — A 17-year-old boy is dead and four others were seriously injured after a high-speed crash involving a group of teens in East Bremerton, authorities said.
The crash happened around 11:08 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of Northeast McWilliams Road, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say a 2023 Rivian SUV carrying seven males — ages 16 to 18 — was traveling westbound at a speed significantly above the posted 25 mph limit when it left the roadway and crashed into a fence and trees.
The Kitsap County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Bradley Leon Mace, 17. Four other people in the vehicle sustained substantial injuries.
Authorities are investigating the crash as vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. According to investigators, initial findings point to reckless driving, and alcohol and drug use are suspected contributing factors. Toxicology results are pending.
Witness Ashley Stevens, who lives nearby, described the moment of the crash.
“Literally like a bomb went off — like someone just blew something up,” Stevens said.
Stevens said she was among the first people at the scene and stayed with Mace while waiting for medics.
“I was with Bradley when they finally came in the ambulance, talking to him the whole time he was there, not knowing if anything we could do,” she said.
Family members say Mace was a junior at Olympic High School and had been picked up just minutes before the crash. His cousin, Amber Valenzuela, described him as part of a close-knit group of friends.
“They were really close. They brought out the best in each other when it counted,” Valenzuela said.
Mace was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries, according to his family.
Valenzuela said the family made the difficult decision to remove him from life support. She also said Mace became an organ donor, helping save three lives.
“In his final moments, Bradley was not alone,” Valenzuela wrote on a GoFundMe page created to support the family. “A kind stranger stayed with him, praying over him and showing him compassion until help arrived.”
The fundraiser had raised more than $10,000 as of Monday.
The crash has had a ripple effect throughout the community, particularly among students and families.
“I have teenage kids too that are literally going to be going into driver’s ed, so it’s really hard to even think about — and then now that’s happening right outside my house,” Stevens said.
Mace’s family says plans are underway for a vigil at Olympic High School.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle or has video from the area prior to the crash to contact the sheriff’s office.
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