Olympia woman faces vehicular homicide charge after Thursday morning fatality crash
A 27-year-old Olympia woman faces a possible charge of vehicular homicide after her wreck led to the death of her seven-year-old passenger, according to Washington State Patrol.
The woman also was thought to be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to State Patrol.
Trooper Robert Reyer said the driver that caused the Oct. 20 crash was speeding in the eastbound lane of state Route 510 near Red Wind Casino in Nisqually.
The woman passed a vehicle across a double yellow line and veered back into the eastbound lane too quickly, he said. She then swerved into the right shoulder and back into the left lane, but then the vehicle started to spin and rotate into the westbound lane.
Her car, a Nissan Maxima, was struck on its rear passenger side by a Ford Expedition SUV carrying three people. The Olympia woman and the child were injured and taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. The child later died there as a result of their injuries, according to State Patrol.
The driver and two passengers in the SUV suffered minor injuries and were transported to the same hospital.
The driver of the SUV and a 15-month-old infant in the back seat remained largely unharmed, Reyer said.
“This is a very sad reminder of how dangerous it is to drive impaired and how big of a responsibility it is to take care of our children,” Reyer said. “It can take only seconds before a valued life is lost.”
This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 10:25 AM.
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