Lily Rowland, right, and her husband of 52 years, Billy Rowland Sr., paused for a snapshot earlier this year. / Courtesy photo
This news story was updated at 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday May 25, 2011
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Troopers say they are looking for a van with damage on its right side in connection with the hit and run that left a Chehalis woman dead on Interstate 5 near Chehalis over the weekend.
The vehicle will possibly be missing – or have damage to – its right-side mirror and missing the front passenger side amber-colored marking light, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Pieces of the van found at the scene Saturday night belong to a 1996 to 2002 full sized Chevrolet Express or GMC Savana van, according to Trooper Steven Schatzel.
Lily M. Rowland, 77, was found about 10 p.m. fatally injured on northbound Interstate 5 near the Labree Road interchange.
She had wandered away from her nearby home and when her grown daughter reported her missing, law enforcement officers had already been getting 911 calls about a pedestrian on the freeway.
Washington State Patrol detective Matt Hughes said he believed she had been missing less than an hour.
Rowland’s husband of 52 years said his wife had Alzheimer’s disease and had a tendency to try to wander away. Billy Rowland Sr. said when he realized she’d left, he looked around the house about 10 minutes before he and his daughter drove a couple times around the area.
The couple live on Bishop Road, but previously lived near Marys Corner, where they raised six children. His wife grew up there, he said.
“She was always wanting to go home; she didn’t know where, just go home,” he said.
Lily Rowland was a home maker, although she worked at a tree farm near Toledo in the 1980s, according to her husband.
After his retirement, the couple spent a lot of time traveling, buying and selling antiques, mostly farm items, at swap meets, he said.
“It’s just shocking,” Billy Rowland said. “It’s just sad, sad, sad. There’s no way to explain it.
“I just hope they get that guy.”
Lily Rowland’s funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday at the cemetery next to Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel in Toledo.
Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call detective Hughes at 360-449-7944 or 360-772-1010.
This photo is an example of the particular body and grille style of the van troopers are looking for. Details such as window configurations, color and length my be different. / Courtesy photo Washington State Patrol
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter