Russell Ward. Photo from Facebook

A member of the Muckleshoot Tribe of Washington pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder on Monday.

Russell Ward, 34, is accused of striking and killing 44-year-old Reachella Partman on March 2. The incident occurred while he was fleeing police in Auburn, according to news reports.

Since Ward was eluding police, a prosecutor told The Seattle Times that he was charged with second-degree murder rather than vehicular homicide. It's believed he was fleeing because he was wanted on a warrant in connection with a prior conviction for manslaughter and more recent charges, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported.

Partman was killed as she was standing on a sidewalk near the Muckleshoot Casino.

Get the Story:
Family of killed woman: 'She didn't deserve to die by someone else's freaking stupidity' (KIRO 4/18)
Driver of SUV charged with second-degree murder (The Auburn Reporter 4/7)
Fleeing driver charged with murder in pedestrian’s death in Auburn (The Seattle Times 4/5)
Prosecutors: Algona killer murdered woman while fleeing cops (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 4/5)