Man who died Friday on Old Highway 99 has been identified
A man who took his own life after he was involved in car crash Friday afternoon on Old Highway 99 has been identified, according to the Thurston County Coroner’s Office.
He was identified Monday morning as KC Puckett, 45.
Coroner Gary Warnock said his driver’s license showed a Yelm address, but he was known to be living in Centralia.
The Olympian typically does not report on suicides or identify victims of suicide unless the incident took place in a public place, and drew widespread attention.
The Olympian reported Friday that the man was driving erratically and speeding in the center lane of southbound Old Highway 99 when he attempted to turn west onto 201st Avenue Southwest. However, the driver lost control and T-boned a vehicle that was waiting to turn onto the highway.
The man then reportedly got out of his vehicle, discarded what deputies later found to be an empty marijuana container in the woods, and returned, according to The Olympian report.
He was “acting extremely erratic,” Lt. Ray Brady of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office told The Olympian. Then the man got a firearm from his vehicle and shot himself, he said.
A mother and daughter were in the vehicle the man crashed into, Brady said Monday. Both were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Suicide Hotline
If you or someone you know is struggling, The Crisis Clinic of Thurston and Mason Counties operates a confidential, anonymous crisis intervention hotline 24 hours a day, every day of the year at 360-586-2800.
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 11:48 AM.
