A filmmaker and photographer was killed last weekend after a speeding driver struck her vehicle on a Washington highway. The driver is suspected to have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Della Chen, 53, was with her husband and teenage daughter. Her family survived the accident without injuries, according to the Seattle Times.
Shortly before the crash, a deputy had tried to stop a 26-year-old driver in a Jeep Grand Cherokee for a felony warrant. But police say the deputy did not pursue the driver when he took off onto Route 509, KING 5 reported.
The Jeep was traveling north on Route 509 when it collided with Chen’s vehicle, which then hit a tree.
Just last Thursday, Chen and her daughter attended the screening for Chen’s first documentary “She Marches in Chinatown” in Brooklyn, New York. The film is about the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team and its history over the past 70 years. It aims to dispel stereotypes about Asian American women and girls.
The filmmaker also photographed weddings, portraits and other editorial and commercial projects. Her work appeared in the New York Times Style Magazine. Chen also taught photography to children cancer patients and sat on the board for Youth in Focus, a Seattle organization that has free photography classes for teens.
Since the crash, the 26-year-old driver has not been charged. He appeared in court this past Monday and is being held on $750,000 bail. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is expected to provide updates on charges later today.
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