Woman suspected of South Bay Road vehicular homicide is in custody, jail log shows

A 35-year-old woman suspected of vehicular homicide is in custody, Thurston County jail information shows.

The woman was driving north on South Bay Road the morning of Dec. 27 when she allegedly crossed the center line in the 800 block and crashed head-on into a southbound driver, killing her 44-year-old female passenger, according to investigators.

The passenger, who died at the scene, has been identified as Frances “Moriah” Brown of Olympia, The Olympian reported.

She died from multiple blunt force injuries due to the collision, Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said on Wednesday. He ruled her manner of death an accident, according to The Olympian.

The 35-year-old suspect also was injured, and so was the female driver of the other vehicle, The Olympian reported.

The suspect was reportedly taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital, and the jail log shows she was arrested about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday in the 2400 block of Hogum Bay Road Northeast in Lacey.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said the following in a social media post Wednesday evening:

“Today, the suspect was released from treatment and returned to the county,” the post reads. “She was located by deputies as a passenger in a vehicle and is suspected of concealing narcotics upon contact.”

It was not immediately clear what happened between her release from the hospital and the arrest.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, driving under the influence and possession and use of a controlled substance, according to the jail log.

This story was originally published January 1, 2026 at 12:23 PM.