Lewis County Sirens.com

A helicopter lands on Interstate 5 to pick up a victim from one of the several crashes in the aftermath of the pedestrian death. / Courtesy photo by Sarah Gee

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 16-year-old girl crossing Interstate 5 on foot to meet friends was killed when she was struck by a passenger vehicle last night in Centralia, according to the Washington State Patrol.

It happened in the southbound lanes south of Mellen Street near the overpass for the new interchange, according to responders.

The state patrol identifies her as Lukah K. Herren, of Toledo.

Firefighters, police and medics responding to the approximately 6:48 p.m. call were soon joined by other responders for a minor wreck just across the freeway and then a serious multi-vehicle collision farther south in the backup.

Interstate 5 was shut down in both directions for a period of time.

Lukah Kimberly Herren

Trooper Will Finn said Herren died at the scene.

Finn said that he spoke to a sergeant who said the girl tried to cross Interstate 5 to meet some people to get a ride somewhere.

“She was in contact with some friends on the other side of the freeway,” Finn said. “The friends, I don’t know how many there were, were making their way to her side, in a car.”

A brief summary of the incident from the state patrol stated a 2006 Saturn Vue sport utility vehicle was traveling southbound and struck the pedestrian who was in lane two.

The driver of the Saturn, 19-year-old Sandra F. Grubbs of Longview, was reportedly unhurt, but her vehicle was totaled, according to the state patrol. Finn said he didn’t expect any charges to be filed.

He called it an unfortunate incident.

Chehalis Fire Department Capt. Rob Gebhart said a passenger car and a truck collided in the northbound lanes very close to the same area a few minutes after the call for the pedestrian, but resulted in only minor injuries.

Just before 7:30 p.m. farther south in the northbound lanes, a collision involving a semi truck and at least four other vehicles left one of those drivers pinned in his car, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

That driver, in his 30s, was extricated and then airlifted with suspected serious and internal injuries, according to RFA Capt. Scott Weinert. A helicopter landed on the freeway to pick him up and take him to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, according to the state patrol.

Two other victims in other vehicles were treated and transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to Weinert.

Trooper Finn said the state patrol had been getting calls of the 2006 Freightliner driving erratically, and it failed to slow for the stopped traffic. Its driver was evaluated by a drug recognition expert, found to be impaired and was arrested, he said.

A service dog in one of the involved cars was killed, Finn said.

The southbound lanes weren’t reopened until just before 9:30 p.m. according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. The northbound lanes were not cleared until just before 3 o’clock this morning, according to WSDOT.
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CORRECTION: This news story has been updated to reflect that the state patrol revised its brief summary about what the pedestrian was doing from ” … struck the pedestrian who was standing in lane two” to “… struck the pedestrian who was in lane two.”

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The northbound lanes near milepost 80 are closed with a multiple vehicle wreck. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

Updated at 10:41 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An elderly man crossing the street in Chehalis was killed when he was hit by a car this morning.

Firefighters were called just after 6 a.m. to South Market Boulevard at Fourth Street, according to the Chehalis Fire Department.

Fire Capt. Casey Beck they began CPR but the man died at the scene.

Lewis County 911 Communications recommends motorists use alternate routes as the area was shut down for the investigation.

Chehalis Police Department spokesperson Linda Bailey said the victim was crossing in the crosswalk, and the vehicle was traveling north on Market.

Bailey said no arrests have been made but she presumes interviews will be conducted. The driver of the Suzuki Aerio is a 22-year-old Chehalis woman, she said.

The Washington State Patrol is assisting the police department in its investigation, Bailey said.

The victim, Clifford C. Seng, is an 82-year-old Chehalis resident who resides nearby, according to authorities

Mary and Anthony Foxworth plead not guilty today in child mistreatment case in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Centralia parents of a 16-year-old boy discovered so malnourished he weighed less than 60 pounds pleaded not guilty today to first-degree criminal mistreatment.

Mary G. Foxworth, 42, and Anthony S. Foxworth, 44, went before a judge this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.

They were accompanied by court appointed lawyers.

Judge Richard Brosey asked them each if they had any questions and then asked how did they plead.

“Not guilty,” each responded separately.

Charges against the couple were filed Dec. 12 and they were summonsed to appear in court last Friday. Both were allowed to remain free on $10,000 unsecured bonds pending trial and ordered to return today for their arraignment.

The available details about the case are five pages of the affidavit regarding probable cause.

The Centralia Police Department began investigating after the Foxworths took their son to the doctor almost a year ago, on Jan. 19, 2016.

The investigation found the boy had not been enrolled in school since 2011 and had not seen a doctor since 2007.

He has a younger brother and sister who are enrolled in school, appeared healthy and presented little concern, Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Bohm wrote in charging documents. Investigators found numerous medical contacts for his siblings over the years, she wrote.

The charging documents offer some of the following information and allegations:

Mary Foxworth contacted Northwest Pediatrics on Jan. 19, 2016 near closing time, saying her son had not been eating or drinking for about three weeks and had abdominal pain.

Medical providers said the boy was whiter than a sheet of paper, looked acutely ill and didn’t talk but only grunted. The doctor estimated his age at  11 or 12. The medical assistant described him as skin and bones, said she had never seen anyone in his condition before or since and she was nauseous from looking at him.

The teen was sent to Providence Centralia Hospital for a diagnosis and they transferred him to Mary Bridge Childrens’ Hospital in Tacoma.

He weighed 54 pounds, was missing patches of hair, could not stand on his own and could not open his mouth wide enough to allow a doctor to check his throat.

He was wearing pull-ups and his skeletal age was determined to be that of a 13-year-old child.

The doctor there wrote in a report “at best, this is neglect, but maybe also physical abuse.”

The boy suffered from severe malnutrition, severe constipation and anemia. He was seen by a dentist and needed 24 of his teeth to be treated, including one that had to be pulled and two that would require root canals.

The charging documents don’t indicate when the boy was put in foster care, but note that as of a date unspecified, he had grown more than three inches and gained 39 pounds. His specific height is not mentioned.

Police detectives interviewed the parents.

Anthony Foxworth said the family regularly ate healthy meals together, regularly bathed and that all his children saw a dentist at least once a year.

He attributed the long hospitalization to the boy’s grandfather – who resided with them – being mean to him.

Separately, Mary Foxworth told detectives the children did not regularly see a dentist or routinely eat three good meals a day.

She indicated she thought he was starving himself because he was depressed. Mary Foxworth admitted she didn’t know when he began to lose weight because she was too wrapped up in her own depression.

The mother admitted to making poor choices, being so sorry for failing him and wrote a letter to her son indicating the same, writing she hoped he would be able to forgive her.

Bohm wrote in charging documents that multiple medical professionals indicated the teen’s condition was the direct result of the neglect, if not abuse, suffered at the hands of the defendants, over a matter of years.

The boy’s foster parents have reported they began a “book of firsts” to track things the teen had not done before, such as learning to push a broom, make a sandwich and go to a movie theater.

The Foxworths when contacted earlier this week declined to comment about the allegations.

Charging documents don’t note if the boy had any pre-existing condition or disease. Mary Foxworth’s lawyer, Jacob Clark, this afternoon outside the courtroom, said that wasn’t something he was able to comment upon.

Their trial is scheduled for the week of March 20. first-degree criminal mistreatment has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

The packed courtroom breaks into applause after Andrew Toynbee is sworn in as Lewis County Superior Court judge.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Newly sworn in Lewis County Superior Court Judge Andrew Toynbee vowed to work hard, be diligent and be prepared as he faced his peers, friends, family and co-workers old and new today.

“I’ll treat everyone with respect, regardless of who they are,” he said.

The Adna resident was sworn into his new role by outgoing Lewis County Superior Court Judge Nelson Hunt this afternoon.

“This is a very pleasurable moment for me, because I know we’ve got a great judge coming,” Hunt said.

Hunt told the gathered crowd he’d hired Toynbee back in the 1990s for his first job, in the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office when Hunt was the elected prosecutor.

The swearing in ceremony was held in department one, which Hunt has presided over since after he was first elected in 2004.

The benches were nearly full, extra chairs were brought in and the front row of the jury box held sitting judges from Lewis County, Thurston County and the Washington State Court of Appeals.

Toynbee ran unopposed for the seat in November and leaves behind his workplace, the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office.

Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim spoke today as well, praising Toynbee’s style as calm and gentle, calling him a genuinely authentic person.

“I can’t imagine a person who is better suited for this position,” Tunheim said.

After he was sworn in, presented with his robe and gavel, Toynbee took his seat at the bench, his voice sometimes breaking as he expressed gratitude for those who’ve helped him along the way.

Honesty, integrity, authenticity and humility were some of the traits he said he’s learned more about from others.

“I thank you all for helping prepare me for this position,” he said.

Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey is retiring this week as well. Judge-Elect Joely O’Rourke will be sworn in on Monday.

Toynbee and O’Rourke are joining Judge James Lawler and Commissioner Tracy Mitchell in Lewis County Superior Court.

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Lewis County Superior Court Judge Nelson Hunt, left, swears in Andrew Toynbee.