Man who said truck had steering issues charged in crash that killed woman near Vaughn

A 42-year-old man has been charged with vehicular homicide in connection with a head-on crash that killed a woman near Vaughn in May.

Dean Ryan Jones was driving a Chevrolet Silverado when the truck was involved in a crash with a Ford Focus, occupied by two women, on the two-lane Key Peninsula Highway on May 22, according to charging papers.

Two witnesses reported that Jones had been driving in and out of his lane prior to the crash, but neither saw the crash, the charging document said.

Jones, who was treated for a broken ankle, purportedly told a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy that his truck had been experiencing steering issues, and he had been on his way to a friend’s house in Key Center to get it fixed, charging papers show.

Jones’s driver’s license was suspended at the time related to a prior driving under the influence case, and he was reportedly supposed to have had an ignition interlock on his vehicle, although he told the deputy that he believed that restriction had expired. Jones did not appear intoxicated on scene, and a preliminary breath test showed no alcohol in his system, according to charging papers.

Marcia Sparks, the driver of the Focus, was killed in the crash. The front seat passenger, Ashley Sparks, suffered scrapes and bruises, according to charging papers.

The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Friday also charged Jones with failure to have an ignition interlock device, reckless endangerment and driving with a suspended license.