Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A 27-year-old man being sought by drug detectives allegedly drove into two DEA agent’s vehicles as he fled a Centralia motel parking lot yesterday afternoon.

The suspect ditched his car on property at the north end of Lum Road and ran off, but was tracked by a K-9 and taken into custody, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Daniel C. Miller, of Centralia, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for two counts of second-degree assault, according to police.

It wasn’t initially clear why law enforcement was looking for Miller.

Centralia Police Department detective John Panco said the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, with help from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, were actively searching for Miller when he was located in the parking lot of Motel 6 on the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue.

Miller was behind the wheel of a 2005 Saturn and as he exited the lot, his car hit the vehicle of a DEA agent entering the lot, according to Panco.

“The DEA agent along with a detective from the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team exited their vehicle and ordered Miller to stop,” Panco stated in a press release. “Miller backed up and attempted to flee south through the Motel 6 parking lot and at one point striking a second vehicle occupied by another DEA agent.”

Miller reportedly continued, driving up onto the sidewalk and over a grass strip and headed north on Lum Road, Panco wrote. He stopped on Lakeside Industries property and fled on foot, according to Panco.

He was tracked by Centralia police dog Pax and found on the 2000 block of Van Wormer Street and surrendered without incident, according to Panco.

Assisting were the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Chehalis Police Department and the Washington State Patrol.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A 2-year-old girl hit by a vehicle backing out of a Winlock driveway was treated and has been released from the hospital, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday about the incident that occurred on the 100 block of Amber Lane, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

A 28-year-old man said they had arrived home, the children went inside the residence and he was preparing to leave again with one child and the child’s friend, according to Breen.

They backed up in the sport utility vehicle and struck something, which turned out to be the little girl.

The toddler was transported to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, suffering from minor injuries of cuts and bruises, Breen said.

Breen said they thought she was in the house but apparently had followed one of the older children back outside.

He did not expect any enforcement action to be taken.

Northbound I-5 near milepost 75 / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 6

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A Centralia driver was critically injured when an errant tire smashed his windshield as he was traveling on Interstate 5 just south of Chehalis yesterday afternoon.

Troopers and aid called just after 4:35 p.m. found the Kia Sorento about 150 feet off the side of the northbound lanes, in a swampy area, according to responders.

Valdemar Sebastian, 51, of Centralia, was transported to the Chehalis Airport and flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to Lewis County Fire District 6.

His passenger sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to District spokesperson DJ Hammer. Analorena Jimenez Morales, 46, also of Centralia, was treated and has been transferred, a hospital spokesperson said this morning.

Sebastian had been heading northbound when a tire and wheel came off a southbound 1995 Ford Escort, bounced over the median and hit his car, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The 26-year-old Lacey man, Joseph A. Miranda, behind the wheel of the Escort, was uninjured, according to the state patrol.

The incident is under investigation by the state patrol.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  Interstate 5 was shut down in both directions last night when a semi truck wrecked in the snow, crashed and caught on fire near Winlock.

The driver was injured but not hospitalized, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Troopers called at 8:37 p.m. to the scene at milepost 63 found the northbound 2013 Freightliner with a loaded box trailer was totaled.

The truck had been northbound when the driver lost control in the snow and struck the jersey barrier, according to the state patrol. It came to rest in the median and caught fire.

Harpreet Singh, 39, from Kent, was cited for speed too fast for conditions.

Washington State Department of Transportation indicated the scene was cleared at 4:22 a.m.

State patrol spokesperson Trooper Will Finn this morning tweeted troopers responded to 15 crashes in Lewis County since 5 p.m. yesterday.

Numerous responders assisted in retrieving the man from the river bank. / Courtesy photo by West Thurston Regional Fire Authority

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 42-year-old man who said he was without food or water for three days was rescued last night from the area of the Black River near 173rd Avenue Southwest outside of Rochester.

Firefighters were searching at about 6:45 p.m. after someone was heard calling for help but needed boats to assist because of underbrush and swampy conditions, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

Members of the Thurston County Dive Team reached the man by boat by 7:40 p.m.

“Victim is alert but will be unable to move under his own power,” the fire department stated on its Facebook page.

Fire Chief Robert Scott said the man was hypothermic and wet and had been in the river, but was on the bank when he was located.

He was treated and transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital, according to the fire department.