By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A 44-year-old woman died last night when a car she was a passenger in struck a tree in Rochester.
A trooper was called just before 10 p.m. to the scene on Littlerock Road just north of Sargent Road Southwest.
Jo-El K. Bade of Olympia died, according to the Washington State Patrol. The driver, Cris A. Bade, 43, of Rochester, was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital with unspecified injuries.
The 2005 BMW was totaled. Neither had been wearing a seatbelt, according to the state patrol.
The car was northbound on Littlerock Road when it left the roadway and hit a tree, the patrol reported.
The responding trooper indicated the cause is under investigation but drugs or alcohol are believed to be involved. The driver faces a possible charge of vehicular homicide, according to the patrol.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter