Archive for July, 2017

Unreplaced guard rail blamed when car wreck went undetected off Leonard Road

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017
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The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro sits about 10 feet below Leonard Road at Burchett Road on Oct. 18, 2016. / Photo Lewis County Sheriff’s Office case file

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A $1.2 million claim has been filed against Lewis County for wrongful death in the case of a 70-year-old Vietnam veteran whose car wasn’t discovered for nearly 90 minutes after he traveled down an embankment where a guard rail was missing and struck a tree in the Onalaska area.

The Chevrolet Camaro with its flashers on was spotted by a pair of Lewis County Public Works employees driving by, more than 40 feet off the west end of Burchett Road and down more than 10 feet, only because the county utility truck happened to sit high enough to see it, according to authorities.

Morris L. Johanson was conscious when responders arrived and told them he had been on his way to a doctor’s appointment at the VA hospital. Law enforcement noted Johanson was seat belted in and his airbags deployed and they could see his lower leg was broken and his forehead cut. He was on oxygen and had oxygen tanks on the floorboard beside him.

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Morris Leland Johanson

The two county employees had broken a window so they could talk with him.

The two-time Purple Heart recipient who lived less than five miles away told the arriving deputy he’d run the stop sign for Leonard Road at 6:30 a.m., that he hadn’t realized where he was and hadn’t noticed it.

The wreck had been reported at 7:55 a.m.

Johanson stopped breathing during the move from his vehicle to the ambulance. CPR was conducted and the ambulance headed to meet an airlift helicopter, but when a second deputy responded to Onalaska High School’s football field, he found the helicopter with its engine shut off and was told Johanson was deceased.

The guard rail had not been repaired or replaced following a collision at the T-intersection about a month earlier, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the wrongful death claim.

Portland attorney Jon Zbinden wrote that Johanson endured pain and suffering until his demise from blunt force trauma – to his chest according to the coroner. Zbinden wrote that the Onalaska man was not discovered for approximately one and a half hours because his vehicle traveled down the embankment as a result of a missing guard rail.

The collision occurred the morning of Oct. 18. The claim – on behalf of Johanson’s daughter, Cherie Johanson – was received by Lewis County Risk Management on April 10. A claim was filed against the Washington State Department of Transportation as well.

Johanson had lived in Onalaska about 10 years and previously owned a long haul trucking business, according to his obituary.

Earlier this week, the risk and safety administrator for the county, Paulette Young, informed the Board of (Lewis) County Commissioners that their attorney handling the case recommended they deny the claim.

“Most likely if we deny, we’ll see a lawsuit,” Young told them.

The three member board voted unanimously to deny the claim.

The Washington State Patrol analyzed the scene and concluded the orange 2014 Camaro, with a Washington Purple Heart specialty plate had been traveling approximately 43 mph when it left the roadway.

There were no marks to suggest any braking for the stop sign and pieces of the previous guard rail were still scattered on the slope.

There had been orange traffic cones placed along Leonard Road where the guard rail previously was, according to one of the investigating troopers.

The Lewis County Coroner’s Office found Johanson died of of blunt force injuries to his chest, with two diseases contributing: arteriosclerotic cardiovascular and chronic obstructive pulmonary. He had multiple rib fractures and internal bleeding collapsed both his lungs, according to the autopsy report.

A service with full military honors was held at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland where he was laid to rest.

I-5 Chehalis: One arrested after multi-vehicle collision

Saturday, July 22nd, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Three out of the four vehicles were totaled, two people were hurt and the alleged causing driver ran away on foot from the scene yesterday afternoon on Interstate 5 in Chehalis.

Troopers called about 4:50 p.m. to the northbound lanes near milepost 77 report that the man initially behind the wheel of the blue Chevrolet pickup was later located blocks away at Northwest Division Street and Hawthorne Place.

Darren D. Cochran, 48, of Rochester, was arrested for third-degree driving with a suspended license, possession of a controlled substance and felony and hit and run, according to the Washington State Patrol. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

According to the investigating trooper, traffic had slowed but Cochran did not and his truck struck the rear of a Nissan Altima, shoving it into a Ford Windstar which was pushed into a Buick LeSabre. Only the LeSabre was able to be driven away from the collision, according to the state patrol.

Injured were a 40-year-old woman from Tumwater and a juvenile, according to the state patrol. Both were transported to Providence Centralia Hospital.

The cause of the multiple vehicle wreck was following too closely, according to the investigating trooper.

Trooper Will Finn tweeted just before 6 p.m. all were lanes were opened and the injuries were minor.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, July 21st, 2017
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VEHICLE THEFT

• A red 2002 Honda Accord was stolen after its owner left it running in the parking lot of a restaurant while he went inside to get his food at the 900 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department. Officers called at 6:48 p.m. yesterday indicate the missing car has a dent near its passenger door, according to police.

• A Tacoma man returned to the dock after fishing yesterday and could not locate his truck and boat trailer at the 100 block of Beach Road in Mossyrock, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The 72-year-old said he believed the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado had been locked although there was a spare key in it, according to the sheriff’s office. The missing 2003 boat trailer has a license plate reading 8167UX, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said. The value is about $10,000. They disappeared between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to Breen.

COOK-WARE GONE

• A woman called Chehalis police just before 9 p.m. yesterday to report she returned home to her apartment on Southeast Washington Avenue to find a casserole dish in a silver stand was missing. There was no sign of forced entry and the door was locked when she got home, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

GUN GONE

• Deputies were contacted yesterday by a 35-year-old man who said his pistol was missing and the last he knew, it was put into his glove box on July 1 when he was moving between residences on the 100 block of Ryan Drive and the 100 block of Newaukum Village Drive in Chehalis, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The firearm is a Ruger SP101 .38 special, according to the sheriff’s office. The loss is approximately $400, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

FORGERY

• A 34-year-old Onalaska woman was arrested after she allegedly tried to cash a check made out to her at a bank on the 200 block of West Main Street in Centralia and an employee found the signature on the check did not match the signature on file for the account holder. Sarah A. Chenoweth  was booked into Lewis County Jail for forgery following the approximately 11 a.m. report, according to the Centralia Police Department.

WEAPON AND WARRANT

• William D. Stephens, 36, of Chehalis, was arrested for “furtively carrying” dangerous weapons and an outstanding warrant after contact with police about 7 p.m. yesterday at the 1300 block of South Gold Street, according to the Centralia Police Department. Stephens was booked into Lewis County Jail, according to police.

DRUGS

• A 22-year-old Mossyrock resident who allegedly stole $20 from a person at a Centralia business yesterday morning was later located and found with suspected methamphetamine on his person, according to the Centralia Police Department. The case associated with the 100 block of South Tower Avenue led to Douglas A. Lee being booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession of meth, according to police.

MAIL TAMPERING

• Centralia police were called about 8:10 a.m. yesterday to the 300 block of North Tower Avenue to take a report of damage to a set of mail boxes in the apartment complex entryway. No mail was initially reported as missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 46-year-old Centralia woman was arrested for driving under the influence after her vehicle ended up in a ditch along the 700 block of Bunker Creek Road last night. A deputy responding about 6:30 p.m. learned from Sheri M. Bobbitt she wasn’t aware of what happened, she just slid off the road, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Bobbitt was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, obstructing, probation violation, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, domestic malicious mischief, misdemeanor domestic assault; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, hit and run, disorderly person, suspicious circumstances … and more among 154 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Police: Medical event may have preceded crash into house

Friday, July 21st, 2017
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The intersection of Borthwick Street and Marsh Avenue in Centralia. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Responders found the driver unconscious after a sport utility vehicle ran into the side of a house in Centralia yesterday afternoon and police say she passed away at the hospital.

The residence was unoccupied at the time and a young boy in the vehicle was uninjured, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

Police called at 3:56 p.m. to the scene at the intersection of Borthwick Street and Marsh Avenue report the vehicle was said to have struck the house at a high rate of speed after leaving the roadway after the driver may have suffered a medical event.

The first arriving emergency medical service units began CPR on the female driver and she was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital in critical condition, according to Fire Capt. Terry Ternan.

Ternan indicated the structure damage to the home left it unsafe to occupy.

The Washington State Patrol responded as well and the collision is under investigation. The cause of death is unknown as of this morning, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, July 20th, 2017
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•••

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

• Kevan J. Waterman, 40, of Centralia, was arrested yesterday for second-degree assault in a case from days ago in which he allegedly choked his teenage son, according to the Centralia Police Department. Waterman was was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

AUTO THEFT

• A gold 2000 Toyota Camry was reported stolen from the 1500 block of Delaware Avenue in Centralia at about 12:15 a.m. today. The car has California plates reading 4HTV469, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A stolen Jeep Cherokee was recovered near Borthwick Street and Marsh Avenue in Centralia just before 1 p.m. yesterday, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Nichole R. Sellards, 34, Centralia, was arrested on Tuesday for theft of a motor vehicle in a case in which the owner had loaned a truck to her last month and was unable to get her to return it, according to the Centralia Police Department. She was was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

FUEL STOLEN

• Centralia police were called about 11 a.m. yesterday to take a report of gasoline being stolen from a vehicle inside a fenced area at the 2000 block of Borst Avenue.

TRESPASSING

• Three teenage boys were contacted by Centralia police yesterday evening after getting kicked out of a pool at a motel on the 1000 block of Eckerson Road because they were not registered guests. Centralia police are investigating because of an accusation they damaged the hot tub there, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• A 28-year-old resident of Neah Bay was arrested for possession of methamphetamine after contact with police about 8:10 a.m. yesterday at the 600 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia. Daren J. Akin, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• Law enforcement called yesterday evening about a possibly intoxicated person laying next to a vehicle blocking the roadway at Seventh Street and Westlake Avenue in Morton eventually caught up to the suspect near U.S. Highway 12 and Leonard Road and arrested him for driving under the influence. Glenn E. Langenbach, 67, from Olympia, was was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, interfering with health care facility; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, vandalism, harassment, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances … and more among 167 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

News brief: Coroner names man killed by tree

Thursday, July 20th, 2017

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office says it was Robert Becker who died during a tree clearing operation on Monday morning west of Napavine.

Becker, 63, of Chehalis, and his 68-year-old brother had been using a tree processor on the 800 block of Pleasant Valley Road when a tree fell in an unexpected trajectory, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said Becker tried to outrun the falling tree but was unable to do so and sustained severe injuries.

The sheriff’s office is conducting a death investigation.
•••

For background, read “Chehalis resident killed when tree falling task goes wrong” from Tuesday July 18, 2017, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Wednesday, July 19th, 2017
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•••

Updated at 11:03 a.m.

STRANGER DRAINS BANK ACCOUNT

• Deputies located and arrested a suspect yesterday in a case in which an Onalaska woman discovered someone was writing himself checks on her bank account. The victim reported it last week after she found her account was overdrawn and contacted her bank, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Approximately $1,100 was taken via checks written at businesses in Lewis, Cowlitz and Thurston counties, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office investigated, viewed video footage and yesterday arrested James D. Maloney, 30, from Winlock, for second-degree theft, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said this morning. Maloney was booked into the Lewis County Jail. Breen said there is no known relationship between the victim and suspect.

GARAGE BURGLED

• The victims said it appeared maybe someone had backed a vehicle into their garage door, but upon closer examination, found the latch was also cut and numerous valuables missing from the 4000 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia yesterday. A deputy determined it occurred between 1 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. yesterday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Among the stolen items are a Snap-On welder, a cutting torch, a Craftsman chainsaw, a tool box and Craftsman  tools, according to the sheriff’s office.

VEHICLE THEFT

• A Winlock resident reported about 7 a.m. yesterday he discovered his pickup had been prowled during the night and then noticed his 2000 Jeep Cherokee was missing from the 100 block of Conrad Road. It happened sometime after 11 p.m. on Monday night, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The maroon Jeep has a license plate reading AEN 0254, according to the sheriff’s office. Also missing is a wallet and a key to the Jeep, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

OTHER THEFT

• Chehalis police were called over to Wal-Mart about 4:50 p.m. yesterday where someone had spent a counterfeit $100 bill, one that was marked “For motion picture use only.” Police will investigate, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Centralia police took a report yesterday from the 900 block of South Scheuber Road that $140 was stolen from a purse last week.

• Centralia police were called just after noon yesterday about the theft of a gallon of water proofing from the back of a truck at the 200 block of L Street.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 47-year-old man was arrested for hit and run as well as third-degree driving with a suspended license in a case associated with an approximately 1:20 p.m. call yesterday to First and K streets in Centralia. Joseph W. Bishop was cited and then released, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, obstructing, hit and run, motor vehicle theft, protection order violation, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, vehicle collision, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances … and more among 184 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.