Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The driver who died when his car crossed the centerline and struck an oncoming pickup truck west of Tenino on Tuesday morning has been identified as a Tenino resident.

Robert J. Hughes, Jr., 37, from Tenino, had been traveling northbound on Old Highway 99 near Tilley Road just before 8 a.m., according to authorities.

The driver of the 2007 Chevrolet pickup, a man in his 60s, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office was investigating the collision.
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For background, read “News brief: Head-on crash west of Tenino leaves one dead” from Wednesday July 5, 2017, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Sheriff’s deputies are checking in and around Mineral Lake looking for signs of a resident said to have gone into the water from a boat yesterday.

Deputies were dispatched just before 4 p.m. yesterday to the north Lewis County community along state Route 7 where they contacted a woman who was adrift in a boat.

She said her significant other had gone into the water and was believed to have drowned, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The missing man is a 54-year-old who resides in Mineral, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the circumstances of what occurred, according to Breen.

The plan this morning is to check the area by boat and by foot, according to Breen.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Washington State Patrol is seeking assistance from anyone who may have witnessed the fatal crash late Sunday night on Interstate 5 just north of Centralia or who observed the Subaru’s driving prior to the collision.

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“The Subaru was likely experiencing some mechanical problems and may have been traveling at slow speeds when struck by the tractor-trailer,” Lt. Randy Hullinger stated in a press release today.

It happened about 11:46 p.m. in the northbound lanes, near milepost 86, approaching the Southwest 216th Avenue overpass in south Thurston County.

The vehicles were a gray 1993 Subaru Legacy and a 2017 Peterbilt with double trailer.

The driver of the Subaru, Edward P. Chambers, 80, of Beaverton, Oregon died, according to the state patrol. His 19-year-old passenger, Scott R. Anderson, of Hillsboro, Oregon, reportedly sustained minor injuries.

They were traveling from Oregon and headed to Rochester, according to Hullinger.

The driver of the semi, 36-year-old Michael L. Buterbaugh of Yelm was unhurt.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detective Jim Meldrum at 253-538-3174 or James.Meldrum@wsp.wa.gov

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For background, read “News brief: Fatal wreck on I-5 north of Centralia under investigation” from Monday July 3, 2017, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The occupants of a Centralia home are displaced after a fire yesterday which caused moderate damage, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

Firefighters were called about 4:30 p.m. to the 500 block of South Oak Street on a report there was smoke inside the house, according to Fire Capt. Scott Weinert.

“On arrival, crews located a fire on an exterior corner of the residence,” Weinert wrote in a brief summary of the incident. “The fire was burning inside an exterior wall.”

A crew removed some of the siding and put the fire out, according to Weinert.

There was some smoke damage to the interior of the home.  The cause is under investigation.

It was just a little more than an hour later the fire department was called to a fire that broke out in brush and tall grass on undeveloped property at the 2900 block of Cooks Hill Road. It’s cause has not been determined either, according to the fire department.

“Witnesses in the area did report seeing and hearing fireworks being discharged prior to seeing the fire,” Weinert said.

Old 99 is closed during investigation. / Courtesy photo by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A driver in his late 30s was killed yesterday morning when his car crossed the centerline and hit an oncoming pickup truck on Old Highway 99 west of Tenino.

The driver of the 2007 Chevrolet pickup, a man in his 60s, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Carla Carter said deputies were called to the scene near Tilley Road South at about 8 a.m. His condition is unknown this morning, according to Carter.

The roadway was closed yesterday between Tilley and Violet Prairie roads while the sheriff’s office investigated.

The causing driver had been traveling northbound in a 2004 Acura, according to Carter.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Smoke may continue to linger in the area for several days following a barn fire yesterday morning south of Chehalis, according to Lewis County Fire District 5.

Crews called to the scene along Bishop Road just before 9 a.m were able to prevent the fire from spreading to several adjacent buildings, but the 80-year-old barn and the approximately 5,000 bales of hay it held were destroyed, according to Fire Lt. Laura Hanson.

District 5 units were assisted by Lewis County Fire District 6, the Chehalis Fire and Lewis County Fire District 2, according to Hanson.

Personnel from District 5 are continuing to monitor and mitigate the remaining materials on scene, Hanson stated.