Packwood woman dies in rollover wreck

January 4th, 2019

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A passenger was killed when she was tossed from a Jeep in a rollover collision overnight north of Packwood, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies called about 12:04 a.m. today to the 100 block of Cannon Road indicate the driver, a 22-year-old man from Packwood, was unhurt.

The driver told deputies he was traveling northbound when his vehicle had a mechanical issue and left the road, according to the sheriff’s office. The Jeep rolled multiple times and the passenger was ejected, which left her with fatal injuries, according to sheriff’s Chief Deputy Bruce Kimsey.

The woman who died is identified as a 29-year-old Packwood resident.

Kimsey said it was raining and the roadway was wet. It appears neither were wearing seat belts.

The wreck is being investigated by the sheriff’s office and the Washington State Patrol. Investigators are awaiting blood test results from the driver, according to Kimsey.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

January 3rd, 2019
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Updated at 12:28 p.m.

UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENT

• Officers called about 9 p.m. on Wednesday to the 300 block of Southwest Third Street in Chehalis subsequently located a suspect and arrested him for unlawful imprisonment, fourth-degree assault and interfering with reporting of domestic violence. Matthew E. Norman, 35, of Chehalis, allegedly had shoved a relative’s head into a wall, taken away a cell phone and blocked a doorway for a period, before leaving the scene, according to the Chehalis Police Department. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

AUTO THEFT

• Centralia police were called about 5:50 p.m. on Wednesday to take a report of a vehicle stolen from where it was parked on the street outside a home on the 400 block of West Plum Street.

• Centralia police were called about 11 a.m. on Wednesday to take a report of a car stolen from the 700 block of North Tower Avenue sometime between 1 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The vehicle was later located in a local parking lot, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VANDALISM

• A 29-year-old Centralia man was arrested for third-degree malicious mischief after allegedly damaging another person’s vehicle in a case associated with the 100 block of South King Street in Centralia on Wednesday. Officers called about 2:35 p.m. booked David E. Pejrano-Knutz into the Lewis County Jail, also for outstanding warrants, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• When a 30-year-old Centralia man was picked up for an outstanding warrant about 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday at the 1000 block of North Scheuber Road in Centralia, he allegedly found to be in possession of narcotics. Justin L. Emery was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CHEHALIS GARAGE CATCHES FIRE

• A detached garage and its contents were destroyed by fire last night off the 1900 block of Rice Road south of Chehalis. Firefighters called about 7:30 p.m. battled the blaze bringing it under control in about 15 minutes, according to Lewis County Fire District 6. The fire had threatened nearby structures but they were saved, according to District spokesperson DJ Hammer. There were no known injuries, Hammer said. The building was described as 12-feet by 30-feet. The crew was assisted by personnel from Lewis County Fire Districts 5, 13 and 15 as well as the Chehalis Fire Department. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, obstructing, trespassing, driving with suspended license, fourth-degree domestic assault; responses for alarm, civil issue, vehicle collision, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances, protection order violation and more among 151 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

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The value of the building’s contents destroyed by fire on Rice Road is unknown. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 6

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

January 2nd, 2019
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ASSAULT

• Centralia police were called to the 100 block of Alder Street about 11:45 p.m. on Monday after an individual reported being assaulted by two or three unknown males. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called for a vehicle prowl at the 500 block of Southwest Cascade Avenue at about 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday in which numerous items including a wallet and a cell phone were stolen.

FAKE MONEY

• Chehalis police were called to the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard about 5:45 a.m. today to take a report of counterfeiting.

VANDALISM

• An officer was flagged down about 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday and advised of a window that appeared to have been intentionally broken at a business on the 500 block of North Market Boulevard in Chehalis

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, trespassing, hit and run, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, fourth-degree domestic assault; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances and more among 274 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 48-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Man standing on highway near Mossyrock fatally hit by car

January 1st, 2019

Updated at 10 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A pedestrian was struck and killed on U.S. Highway 12 about two miles west of Mossyrock overnight.

Troopers called about 1:11 a.m. to the scene near Wilson Road were told he was standing in the roadway wearing dark clothing, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The three occupants of the eastbound Ford Focus from Eatonville were unhurt, according to the state patrol.

The pedestrian is identified as 27-year-old Colton M. Lindberg of Toledo.

No charges are expected. It’s unknown if alcohol or drugs were involved, according to the patrol.

The death is the fourth of a pedestrian on a highway in Lewis County since September. Each collision occurred after dark and each victim was a male.

Jordan N. Alvarez Hill, 19, of Toledo, died at the scene after he was hit by a sport utility vehicle on state Route 508 just east of Guerrier Road the evening of Nov. 25.

Brandon C. Ditmeyer, 38, of Peoria, Arizona, was killed when he was struck by a Toyota pickup truck on state Route 508 just east of Interstate 5 the night of Oct. 9.

Richard E. Graham, 45, of Silver Creek, was fatally struck by a hit and run driver on U.S. Highway 12  near Gershick Road on Sept. 24.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

December 31st, 2018
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CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE

• Centralia police were called to the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday after an individual attempted to stop a suspected thief in a motel room and was assaulted. The female suspect was a guest in the room and had taken a small amount of marijuana, three lighters and $15 cash, according to the Centralia Police Department. The incident is under investigation, according to police.

THEFT

• Centralia police are investigating after a server set approximately $130 down on a table and someone left with it, at the 1200 block of Alder Street in Centralia shortly before 6:40 p.m. on Saturday.

• Chehalis police were contacted about 2:50 p.m. on Saturday regarding multiple instances of counterfeit money at the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue.

• Police called to the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue about 11:25 a.m. on Saturday because a person had allegedly stolen a can of air and was “huffing” it inside the store arrested 26-year-old Bowen J. Bottorff of Rochester for third-degree theft and booked Bottorff into the Lewis County Jail,

FAKE NAME

• When Centralia police arrested two people for outstanding warrants at the 400 block of South Oak Street at about 1 p.m. on Friday, one of them allegedly provided officers with a false name. Nicholas J. Quillan, 37, of Chehalis was arrested for first-degree criminal impersonation and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• Officers arrested a 28-year-old Centralia resident for outstanding warrants, possession of methamphetamine and made a referral for a charge of third-degree domestic malicious mischief at about 10 p.m. on Sunday at the 1400 block of Johnson Road in Centralia. Ashley R. M. Mathus was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, trespassing, protection order violation, driving with suspended license, fourth-degree domestic assault, third-degree domestic malicious mischief; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft and more among many calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Industrial accident at TransAlta mine claims a life

December 31st, 2018

Updated at 12:04 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The body of a machine operator who had been dredging a pond on TransAlta mine property outside Centralia was recovered yesterday after a barge and 72-foot dredge sank the evening before.

The worker has been identified as 28-year-old Caleb D. Brown, of Winlock.

Investigators from the Mine Safety and Health Administration were onsite looking into the incident, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies and fire personnel were dispatched to the area off the 1000 block of Big Hanaford Road at 7:52 p.m. on Saturday after workers lost contact with the operator and discovered the barge was underwater, according to the sheriff’s office. The area was searched but the employee was not found, sheriff’s Chief Deputy Bruce Kimsey said.

Divers from Thurston County arriving about 9 a.m. yesterday located the operator deceased inside the cab of the machine about 2:40 p.m., according to Kimsey. The 150,000 pound piece of equipment was about about 20 feet below the surface of the pond.

Mining operations at TransAlta ceased several years ago, but a contractor has been dredging the mud in the pond to reclaim coal, according to Kimsey. The contractor is operating as Coalview Centralia LLC, according to Kimsey.

Kimsey described the apparatus as having been held in place by a cable on each end that runs to the shore and powered by a high voltage line.

He said deputies learned that a supervisor last heard radio contact from Brown at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and about 15 minutes later, Brown’s co-workers noticed they were not receiving material from the dredge and found the power was off.

They checked and found the barge had sunk, according to Kimsey.

The Lewis County Coroner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy for Wednesday.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

December 21st, 2018
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PHYSICAL VIOLENCE

• A 25-year-old Pe Ell woman who allegedly got into a physical altercation with loss prevention personnel at the 500 block of South Tower Avenue after she allegedly stole merchandise was arrested for second-degree robbery on Thursday. Officers called just before 4 p.m. booked Cassandra L. McBride into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police called to the 900 block of South Scheuber Road in Centralia just after noon on Wednesday arrested a 60-year-old Morton man who allegedly assaulted a nurse. Ricky L. Davis was booked into the Lewis County Jail for third-degree assault, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE THEFT

• Chehalis police were called to the 1300 block of Northwest State Avenue about 9:10 a.m. on Thursday to take a report that a truck had been stolen around 5 a.m.

• Police were called to the 2500 block of North National Avenue in Chehalis at about 8:40 a.m. on Wednesday following the discovery that a vehicle parked near the service area was no longer there when the customer arrived to pick it up.

PORCH THEFT

• Chehalis police were called about 10:55 a.m. on Thursday and told a backpack delivered on Tuesday by Alaska Airlines to a porch on the 1300 block of Southwest Wilson Avenue had been stolen.

FAKE MONEY

• Chehalis police were called to the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue about 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday because of a counterfeit $100 bill, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

DRUGS

• Centralia police arrested a 34-year-old Seattle resident contacted about 6:45 p.m. on Thursday at the 1200 block of Mellen Street for an outstanding warrant and then for possession of narcotics, according to the Centralia Police Department. Erin M. Orosz was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

VANDALISM

• Chehalis police called about 12:50 a.m. on Thursday to the 200 block of Southwest Alfred Street because someone broke the caller’s windshield subsequently arrested 21-year-old Riley B. Hill for third-degree malicious mischief, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 62-year-old Cinebar woman was injured in a three-vehicle collision in Mason County early this morning, according to the Washington State Patrol. It happened on state Route 3 near milepost 23 about two miles south of Belfair, according to the state patrol. Troopers called to the scene about 5:45 a.m.  found that a northbound car traveling too fast spun out before colliding with the woman’s southbound Volkswagen Jetta and then hitting a pickup truck which had also spun out. The roadway was block for about two and a half hours. Loraine D. Wood was transported by aid to Mason General Hospital, according to the state patrol.

• A vehicle collided into a residence at the 300 block of N Street in Centralia shortly before 7:50 p.m. on Thursday, according to the Centralia Police Department. The driver indicated that the vehicle had mechanical issues, according to police.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, driving under the influence, protection order violation; responses for alarm, dispute, harassment, civil issue, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances, disorderly person, misdemeanor theft and more among 325 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 48-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.