Lewis County Sirens.com

Impounding the 2016 Nissan Versa / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Randle woman died at the scene when her car crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a garbage truck on U.S. Highway 12 near Morton yesterday.

Troopers called at 1:23 p.m. determined the Nissan Versa had been eastbound approaching milepost 99 and the Peterbilt refuse truck was headed westbound.

Audrey D. Reddington was 63 years old, according to the Washington State Patrol. She was wearing a seat belt, drugs or alcohol were not involved and her car was totaled, according to the state patrol.

The truck driver was injured. Terry L. Riley was transported to Morton General Hospital, according to the investigating trooper.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office today released the name of the 29-year-old woman who was killed when she was ejected from a Jeep in a rollover collision north of Packwood.

Corrine R. Lubbers, of Packwood, died from an injury to her neck, according to Coroner Warren McLeod.

Deputies called about 12:04 a.m. on Friday to the 100 block of Cannon Road noted neither Lubbers or the 22-year-old Packwood man who was driving had been wearing seat belts. He was unhurt, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The driver told deputies his vehicle had a mechanical issue and left the road, according to the sheriff’s office.
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For background, read “Packwood woman dies in rollover wreck” from Friday January 4, 2019, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office has positively identified the victim recovered from the Skookumchuck River in Centralia on Sunday as Kimberly A. Gotcher, 28, of Centralia.

Her next-of-kin have been located and notified, Coroner Warren McLeod said this afternoon in a press release.

Determinations about the cause and manner of her death won’t be finalized until after results of toxicology tests come back, according to McLeod.

Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said previously that deputies responded about 12:38 p.m. on Sunday to the river near Schaefer Park just northeast of Centralia and pulled the woman’s body from the water. There were no obvious signs of what caused her death, according to Breen.

Breen described her as a homeless person who had a campsite under a bridge nearby.

The sheriff’s office would not share information about who phoned 911 that day and why.
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For background, read “Woman found dead in Skookumchuck River” from Monday October 22, 2018, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A missing 15-year-old Chehalis girl was located overnight in northern California with a 19-year-old Oregon man, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Lewis County sheriff’s detectives obtained information she may have been with a former significant other and learned of a possible location in Siskiyou County, which led to them being found shortly before midnight, according to the sheriff’s office.

It appears she went with and remained with him willingly, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen stated in a press release this morning. The girl had been last seen the evening of Oct. 5.

Zachary Jordan Drazner had been contacted by deputies early in the investigation and indicated he did not have any information regarding her whereabouts, Breen stated.

Drazner, 19, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant obtained for second-degree  criminal mistreatment in relation to the incident, according to Breen. She was taken into the custody of Siskiyou County as well.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office and the Washington State Patrol yesterday identified the pedestrian struck and killed on state Route 508 on Monday night as 38-year-old Brandon C. Ditmeyer, of Peoria, Arizona.

Ditmeyer was reportedly walking in the westbound lane of travel, just east of Interstate 5, when he was hit by a westbound Toyota pickup truck. The incident was reported about 7:20 p.m. Ditmeyer died at the scene.

No criminal charges are expected against the 22-year-old Chehalis man who was driving the truck, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The coroner’s office said his next-of-kin have been notified. An autopsy is pending.
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For background, read “Pedestrian killed by truck on state Route 508” from Tuesday October 9, 2018, here

Updated at 1:39 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Washington State Patrol has interviewed a motorist who thinks they possibly hit the pedestrian who died along U.S. Highway 12 on Monday night.

Troopers called to the scene near Gershick Road in Silver Creek for a man lying on the shoulder of the highway at 8:33 p.m. that night determined he had been struck by an eastbound vehicle, which did not remain at the scene.

The Lewis County Coroner’s Office positively identified the victim as Richard E. Graham, 45, of Silver Creek.

State patrol spokesperson Trooper Will Finn said today:

“Now, with help from the media, we had somebody come forward yesterday and say ‘Hey, I think it might have been me.’ ”

Finn said the driver is being “completely cooperative.”

The driver, who Finn did not identify as a male or a female, told authorities of hearing something hit or strike their vehicle, like maybe a rock or a branch, but not seeing Graham, according to Finn.

The driver said they looked in their rear view mirror and noticed a vehicle following behind, which didn’t stop, or flash its lights or do anything to suggest they noticed anything out of the ordinary, according to Finn.

Troopers observed some slight damage to the driver’s vehicle, which will be forensically analyzed, Finn said.

Finn noted the area is extremely dark at night.

Coroner Warren McLeod late yesterday afternoon stated in a press release that Graham died from blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso. McLeod has already concluded the manner of death was accidental.

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For background, read “Fatal hit and run in East Lewis County leaves man dead” from Tuesday September 25, 2018, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Authorities are trying to confirm the identity of a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a motorist on U.S. Highway 12 at Silver Creek yesterday and hoping to find the driver who didn’t stick around.

Troopers and aid were called at 8:33 p.m. to the scene near Gershick Road for a man lying on the shoulder of the highway, who appeared he had been hit by a vehicle, according to the Washington State Patrol.

“Unfortunately he succumbed … before anything could be done for him,” state patrol spokesperson Trooper Will Finn said this morning.

Finn said they’re not sure at this point if the victim was walking down the lane, or crossing the highway. “There’s a mini-mart gas station right there,” he said.

Investigators are pulling surveillance video, but also reaching out to anyone who may have been traveling in the area at the time and saw something.

They believe the suspect vehicle was eastbound on U.S. Highway 12 and would have damage to its right front end, Finn said.

Anyone with any information is asked to phone the state patrol’s non-emergency number, at 360-449-7999.