One hospitalized, one arrested after fight on Yelm Highway in east Thurston County Tuesday
Deputies arrested a 35-year-old woman on suspicion of vehicular assault after responding to a domestic violence incident in east Thurston County Tuesday night, Sheriff Derek Sanders said.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Yelm Highway Southeast near the Nisqually Reservation.
Sheriff Derek Sanders posted about the incident on Facebook and shared a photo of a car with front end damage. He said deputies learned a physical fight occurred inside a vehicle on the highway, also known as State Route 510, and one person had been run over, causing serious injuries. The driver of the car allegedly showed signs of impairment and there was evidence of alcohol consumption in the vehicle, he added.
Court records provide more details about the incident from the perspective of law enforcement.
A Nisqually officer first responded to the scene after reports of an auto injury on Yelm Highway. Once they arrived, the officer determined the driver and an injured person were involved in a “domestic altercation.” The officer then detained the driver.
Witnesses reported seeing the 35-year-old woman drive her car while the victim was hanging out of the vehicle. The woman stopped the vehicle in the middle of the eastbound lane where both parties got out of the car and began fighting.
The woman then returned to the car and drove into the victim head on. She then stopped and attempted to exit the car but her hair got stuck in the door.
First responders transported the victim to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia to be treated for severe head injuries.
A Washington State Patrol trooper later arrived on scene and observed several pools of blood throughout the roadway where witnesses saw the vehicle strike the victim. There were also personal items strewn about the roadway, such as a hair clip claw and socks.
The trooper approached the woman while she was detained in the Nisqually patrol vehicle and reportedly smelled a “strong odor of intoxicants emitting from her,” according to court records.
The trooper noted her eyes were bloodshot and watery and she was slurring her speech. When asked how much she had to drink, she said she had three Buzz Ball drinks. Three such containers were reportedly found empty in her vehicle.
The woman told the deputy she fought with the injured person while driving back from Seattle to get tattoos together and they had been drinking.
She said the injured person was hanging out of the car and pulled her hair while she was driving. At one point, she slammed the brakes, causing the injured person to launch out of the vehicle.
A Thurston County deputy responded to the scene about an hour later and attempted to speak with the woman. She told the deputy she wanted medical attention and accused the injured person of punching her in the face.
She said the injured person was a previous partner and admitted again to having three drinks before requesting a lawyer.
The deputy took the woman to MultiCare Capital Medical Center in Olympia to be evaluated and have her blood drawn as part of the investigation.
While there, the woman alleged the injured person started the fight by punching her inside the vehicle. When asked about the front-end damage to her car, the woman told the deputy that damage was there days prior to the incident.
Jail records indicate deputies booked a woman into the county jail for second-degree assault domestic violence and vehicular assault.
