A woman who hit and killed a motorcyclist near the north end last spring will not be charged with a crime for the accident.

Though investigators with the King County Sheriff’s Office concluded there was probable cause to charge the woman, a 67-year-old Vashon resident, with vehicular homicide, the King County Prosecutor’s Office decided this month there was insufficient evidence to do so. The case has been sent to King County District Court, where the woman may be cited for traffic violations.

According to a memorandum dated Sept. 18 and written by Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Amy Freedheim, the woman driving the vehicle that struck and killed West Seattle Resident Peter Lajko on his motorcycle in April was negligent on the road and “liable for this man’s death.” However, according to Freedheim, there was no evidence that she exhibited disregard for the safety of others, a requirement for a vehicular homicide charge.

The fatal accident occurred on the afternoon of April 26. Lajko, 62, was headed northbound and stopped on his motorcycle to turn left on the 12500 block of Vashon Highway, near Palouse Winery, when a woman driving a pickup truck northbound hit Lajko from behind. He died instantly.

The driver later told investigators that she was on her way to her boyfriend’s house that afternoon and simply didn’t see Lajko. She had attempted to swerve at the last moment, but was unable to avoid him.

An investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office found that at the time of the accident the driver was traveling about 51 mph; the speed limit on that stretch of road is 50 mph. She was not found to be under the influence of alcohol, but she did say she had taken Vicodin four and half hours before the accident. She claimed the Vicodin did not affect her driving at the time, and she was not evaluated by a drug recognition expert at the scene.

Documents associated with the investigation describe the woman as distraught after the accident. She also said she believed she had cancer, and her boyfriend informed investigators the following month that she had been diagnosed with stage four throat cancer.

In her memorandum, Freedheim argued that absent any evidence the woman was affected by the Vicodin or distracted by electronics, she didn’t show more than ordinary negligence when the accident occurred.

“I do recommend appropriate infractions, including failure to have liability insurance,” Freedheim wrote. “Her lack of insurance leaves the dead man’s family with little ability to obtain restitution for his death, especially in light of her cancer diagnosis.”

The Beachcomber does not name suspects unless they are charged with a crime.

Editor’s note: The print version of this story misstated the drivers’ age.