A 78-year-old man is facing vehicular homicide, hit-and-run, and reckless driving charges after allegedly striking and killing a 73-year-old pedestrian in Spokane County, Washington. The crash happened around 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2, 2026, on North Perry Road near East Appaloosa Lane, between the communities of Mead and Dartford. The pedestrian, identified as Karen Miller, was crossing Perry Road from west to east when she was struck and suffered life-threatening injuries. She was rushed to a Spokane hospital, where she later died.
According to KHQ, the driver, John F. Bligh, was driving a gray Ford Ranger and initially denied involvement before deputies identified and arrested him. The Spokesman-Review reported that a nearby security camera showed the truck traveling north on Perry Road at nearly double the posted 25 mph speed limit shortly before the crash, and that Bligh had allegedly left a nearby bar before getting behind the wheel. Bligh appeared in Spokane County Superior Court on Wednesday, where a judge set bond at $150,000 and ordered an ignition interlock device as a release condition. Investigators say a blood sample was collected under a search warrant, and the case remains under active investigation ahead of Bligh’s arraignment scheduled for September 9.
