Woman accused of killing Navy veteran in hit-and-run was speeding in stolen truck: Docs
Search continues for suspects in hit-and-run that killed Navy Veteran
Police say his good friend and neighbor Robert Spafford,54, was hit and killed by a 2003 to 2005 gray Dodge Ram Pickup. Federal Way Police says the truck is missing the passenger’s side rearview mirror, as a result of hitting Spafford . It also has a broken middle back window possibly covered with a plastic bag, a matching color hard top bed cover, and faded paint on the sides of the tailgate.
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - A tip to Crime Stoppers from a FOX 13 viewer helped lead to the arrest of a woman accused of crashing into a Navy Veteran and driving off without checking to see if he was okay.
On March 1, 2023, around 6 p.m., Navy veteran Robert Spafford, 54, was in the middle of crossing Pacific Highway S in Federal Way when he was hit by a Dodge Ram.
The driver sped off and Spafford was pronounced dead at the scene.
Spafford was hit just outside the William J Wood Veterans House, where he frequently stayed.
"He was just crossing the street like you normally do, and I know it's probably not a good place to cross here but normally he was very, very careful," Maurice Lloyd said, an Air Force veteran staying at the William J Wood Veterans House.
Spafford had a routine, and many knew him to cross just outside the housing facility.
The nearest crosswalk is about a quarter mile away. The speed limit posted at 45 mph. Veterans say they see many speeding through here at all times of the day.
Lloyd says Spafford’s loss is taking a toll on the entire community.
"He was always just a nice person. He never got into trouble he was very helpful and very smart," Lloyd said.
He recalls him being very outspoken, attending community gatherings, greeting other veterans, someone who enjoyed singing.
Lloyd says the most devastating thing is knowing the driver didn’t stop to help.
"Whatever reasons they had not to stop. I don't think it's good enough," Lloyd said. "I hope justice happens on his behalf because he didn't deserve to be hit like that."
Investigators say a tip from Crime Stoppers helped lead to the arrest the same day the story aired on FOX 13.
The suspect, 23-year-old Haley Bunkelman, said she saw herself on the news when she was taken into custody for questioning.
According to court documents, she "mentioned how she was cool with it [being on the news] because she sold the cart and knew it wasn't her and mentioned she knows it looks like it was her."
Bunkelman was brought in for questioning about an alleged shoplifting incident that happened just before the hit-and-run. Without prompting, she asked officers if she was there regarding the hit-and-run.
Through an investigation and tracking the involved vehicle on surveillance video, Bunkelman was charged for hit-and-run death, two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle and two counts of second-degree retail theft.
The pickup involved in the hit-and-run was determined to have been stolen. Officers found it abandoned two days after the crash in an area in Kent.
Veterans said Spafford's death has become a constant reminder for them to use crosswalks.