Inset left: Donald Wayne Rownan (Washington Department of Corrections). Inset right: Paola Parbol Arredondo (GoFundMe). Background: The intersection where Rownan allegedly took Arredondo’s life during a high-speed chase in Parkland, Wash., on Oct. 15, 2025 (Google Maps).
A Washington state man insisted law enforcement was to blame for a fatal crash that took an innocent woman’s life during a high-speed chase earlier this week, Evergreen State authorities say.
Donald Wayne Rownan, 47, stands accused of one count each of murder in the second degree, vehicular homicide, failure to remain at an accident resulting in death, vehicular assault by DUI, failure to remain at an accident resulting in injury, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, escape from community custody, and reckless driving, according to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The underlying incidents occurred along one stretch of road in Parkland, a census-designated place and suburb of Tacoma.
On Wednesday, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputies tried to pull over a driver presumably wanted on a warrant, authorities say.
Instead, the driver allegedly fled.
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In the ensuing chaos, the speeding Chrysler 300 ran a red light at 112th Street and Ainsworth Avenue South; the fleeing car barreled directly into a Toyota Corolla already in the intersection and took the life of Paola Parbol Arredondo, 20, law enforcement officials say.
Then, Rownan got out of his totaled sedan and tried to leave the scene on foot, according to law enforcement. The defendant was quickly arrested by a deputy roughly a block away from the crash, according to investigators cited by Seattle-based ABC affiliate KOMO.
“This all happened within 20 to 30 seconds,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told the TV station. “We were not able to control what that suspect did, the reckless decisions they made, and choosing to blow through that red light.”
At the time of the incident, Rownan was on Community Custody supervision, or parole, authorities say. During an interview with the Washington State Patrol, the defendant allegedly admitted to running from police because he was afraid of going back to prison after repeatedly violating the terms of his release, KOMO reported.
At the height of his attempted escape, the defendant allegedly admitted to driving between 75 and 80 mph, according to court documents obtained by Seattle-based NBC affiliate KING.
In May, the defendant was released from prison after serving part of a sentence for a 2023 conviction related to charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and identity theft, according to Washington Department of Corrections records cited by the TV station.
Since his release from prison, Rownan has allegedly failed to report to his parole officer and three separate warrants have been issued in response to those violations.
The defendant, for his part, also blamed deputies for the car crash, according to the state trooper who interviewed him.
“Rownan’s demeanor appeared as if he did not care and did not believe it was his fault,” the trooper wrote in his arrest report. “(Rownan) stated something along the lines of ‘you guys could have not chased me’. I told him I was shocked by the lack of accountability.”
Rownan had been arrested 36 times before this week, KING reported.
The victim was a college student and on her way to classes at Pacific Lutheran University when she died, her boyfriend told KOMO.
“She woke me up with a kiss goodbye,” Arredondo’s boyfriend said. “I told her, ‘Be safe, I’ll see you after you get home.'”
A GoFundMe for funeral expenses remembers her fondly.
“[S]he studied criminal justice and social services as well working part time at a daycare working with young children,” the online fundraiser reads. “She is a very compassionate, humble, and respectful individual who will be missed by many.”
The defendant appeared in Pierce County Superior Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is currently detained in the Pierce County Jail. His bail is set at $750,000.
