EDMONDS—A high-speed chase ended in tragedy late Tuesday night when a Mini Cooper drove off the Edmonds ferry dock, resulting in two fatalities and three injuries, according to the Washington State Patrol (WSP).
The incident began around 11:10 p.m., June 17, when WSP troopers observed a Mini Cooper traveling at 79 mph in a 60-mph zone on Interstate 5. A pursuit was initiated but terminated one minute later. Within the next 15 minutes, Snohomish County deputies spotted the vehicle in Edmonds and began a second pursuit after the car, driven by 29-year-old William G. Leonard of Tulalip, was seen exceeding 100 mph. Following an attempted traffic stop, the vehicle fled.
Deputies followed the Mini Cooper through Edmonds and onto the ferry dock, where the car drove through a barrier and plunged into the water. No ferry was present at the time. The vehicle carried five occupants: Leonard, the driver, and four passengers aged 30, 38, 45, and 48.
According to seatemperature.info, the water temperature on the night of June 17 was 56.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Put that over you so you don't go down and you can hold him!"
I obtained body camera videos from @EdmondsPolice showing the response to the fatal crash where a fleeing car plunged off a ferry dock and landed in the water. (Video 1/2) https://t.co/067YmjW2Aw pic.twitter.com/qelfPXKsw8— Jeremy Harris (@JeremyHarrisTV) June 19, 2025
Two passengers, Melanie E. Ross, 48, of Auburn, and Portsha C. Sapp, 45, of Lakewood, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Leonard, along with passengers Licia T. Gonzalez, 30, of Auburn, and Jose L. Serrano, 38, of Federal Way, were transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with injuries. The use of seatbelts by the occupants remains unknown.
Multiple agencies responded, including WSP, WSP detectives, Snohomish Police, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Edmonds Police, South County Fire Rescue, and heavy-duty tow trucks. Divers searched the water as part of the investigation, causing a temporary shutdown of the Edmonds-Kingston ferry route starting at 11:26 p.m.
WSP suspects drugs and alcohol may have contributed to the crash, though the investigation remains ongoing. Charges against the driver are under consideration.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
3 Responses
Why was he not already in prison with 17 previous arrests??? WTF man, that is stupid. Now innocent people are dead and in critical condition and he’s alive.
Was that in the article? I didn’t see that information. This is awful. It should not have happened.
Two failed police chases, prior charges, an active warrant, rampant drug use, car theft, homicidal driving intentions, evading police, and domestic violence charges. Get this man off the streets yesterday, it would be obvious to a bot that he is destined to kill someone. How many laws can one person break in one day, and needless deaths.