Updated at 6:54 p.m.
MOTORIST CRITICAL AFTER CENTRALIA WRECK
• A 25-year-old driver was seriously injured when he was thrown from his car last night east of Centralia. Firefighters and deputies responding about 7:40 p.m. to the 1900 block of Salzer Valley Road found the 1991 Honda CRX was destroyed in the single-vehicle wreck, according to Riverside Fire Authority. A passenger had been seat belted in and suffered only minor cuts and bruises, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. But Blake S. Cohoon, 25, from Arizona, wasn’t using his seat belt and suffered life-threatening injuries, according to responders. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. A spokesperson from the hospital said he was in surgery at noontime, and listed in critical condition. The sheriff’s office suspects Cohoon had been drinking and that speed contributed to the crash. The case will be referred to prosecutors for a charge of first-degree negligent driving, Cmdr. Dusty Breen said.
DRUGS
• A 37-year-old Centralia man was arrested for possession of methamphetamine yesterday afternoon following a traffic stop at the 1200 block of Alder Avenue in Centralia. Dennis A Johnston was found to be driving with a suspected license and suspected meth was found during the contact, according to the Centralia Police Department. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.
LOST AND FOUND
• Centralia police were called to 1300 block of Kayu Lane in Centralia yesterday morning about 10-speed bike someone had taken from the carport area of a home. The bicycle was subsequently found in some bushes off Reynolds Road and returned to its owner, according to the Centralia Police Department.
FIRE ALONG TRACKS FOLLOWS BACKFIRING LOCOMOTIVE
• Rail traffic was stopped this afternoon after an older locomotive backfired and presumably was what ignited a pile of old and rotting railroad ties next to the track near Reynolds and Blair roads in Centralia. Employees of Puget Sound and Pacific Rail who called 911 about 3:10 p.m. said they saw a four-foot flame come from the top of the engine, according to Riverside Fire Authority. They tried to put it out with fire extinguishers and arriving firefighters finished the job without complication, according to a summary of the incident. It was a roughly 10 foot by 30 foot pile of ties, and flames had spread slowly into light vegetation, according to the fire department.
DEPUTY MISSES ELK, RUNS INTO TREE
• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office revealed today that one of its deputies on routine patrol swerved to miss an elk on the roadway and struck a tree, totaling a 2013 Ford Explorer Interceptor SUV. The deputy was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma to be treated for minor injuries and has been released, according to the sheriff’s office. It happened about 11 p.m. last Sunday night on state Route 706 near Ashford, according to Chief Deputy Stacy Brown. The accident is being investigated by the Washington State Patrol, Brown indicated.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for dispute, misdemeanor assault, suspicious circumstances … and more.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
BLAH,
You missed something in the story. The accident was on hwy 706. That puts it in Pierce county. Not sure, but I’m guessing Pierce county responders would go to a Pierce county hospital?
cut the victim some slack I grew up with the guy he was jus out there to visit his brother. Accidents happen yeah it wasn’t a good idea to speeding on a road you barely know but seriously people aren’t perfect things happen it’s called life
My favorite part about lewis county sirens is waking up and reading the comment section. Yeah the kid was hauling A$$. But look at the two dollar bald tires he was driving on. Is there an update on the guys condition Sharoyn. When i saw the wreck my self it looked like no one could have lived. Maybe when he was ejected from the car that played a part. And the passenger must not of tensed up since he only received a few scratches. Why not hit the 1200 lb animal head on. Only in my Super Duty Ford Though. Just slow down a little i know i have it was a grim reminder of how dangerous the roads really are. Have a great day Lewis County Sirens Fans. And remember to drink at least two large glasses of Centralia’s special blend of Fluoridated water. Because Skull and Bones are good for your teeth.
@BleeBloo…great idea! Lets just hit the 1200# animal and have it come through the windshield and land on the person’s lap! And chances are, there was more than just one elk in the roadway.
This was not an accident, the kid was going like a bat out of hell and probably drunk. This kid was out to kill himself but probably never thought it would happen. I’m glad the passenger wasn’t seriously hurt. Hopefully he won’t be stupid enough to put his life in the hands of an suicidal idiot again.
Lol. Damm fluoride heads.
Minor injuries and he was transported to Tacoma? is Centralia not good enough for our police? That was a waste of tax payer funds, and Im sure he wont even receive a ticket for “wheels of roadway” SMFH good old boy system at work
why would you swerve to miss an animal on the highway? to prevent damage to your car? you’ll just run off the road and injure or kill yourself. it’s almost always better to run the animal down.
Well, I blame the fluoride.
Please slow down. I drove by this wreck last night. The car took out a large 2000 lb concrete block. Flipped the car from one ditch over a driveway and into another ditch upside down. It also took out a fence. There are alot of dear and elk in that area. At 70 mph in one jumps out your dust. Dont speed the time you gain from speeding could last a lifetime. Prayers to the victim. Slow down being late is okay