Latest news with #Clasen
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Docs: WSP trooper's blood-alcohol level was 0.17% 6 hours after fatal crash
This story was originally published on Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Sarah Clasen was driving her personal car on March 1 when investigators said she turned in front of a motorcycle, resulting in the death of the 20-year-old rider. According to court documents, she was drunk hours after the crash. The crash happened along State Route 240 (SR 240) and Village Parkway in Richland at 7:30 p.m. The motorcyclist, 20-year-old Jhoser Sanchez, died at Kadlec Regional Medical Center after Clasen collided into him in her Kia Telluride. He'd only ridden the motorcycle about three or four times before, police reported. She was driving at approximately 20 mph when the accident occurred. Now that more than a month has passed since, more details are being revealed about the fatal crash. The WSP Seattle Toxicology Laboratory found that Clasen's blood-alcohol level was 0.17%, nearly six hours after the crash—more than double the legal limit of 0.08%. Clasen also tried to leave the crime scene, but couldn't, according to the documents obtained by The Tri-City Herald. One witness reported she attempted to drive away before deciding against it, while another witness described Clasen as more like a nervous teenager than a seasoned police officer. According to witness testimony, it wasn't until other people approached her SUV that she began helping at the scene. She then assisted the team of firefighters who arrived at the scene in their attempts to save Sanchez's life. Both Spokane County prosecutors and her defense team are conducting their own investigations, as of this reporting. Clasen, a 13-year veteran with WSP, was at Moon Palace, a Chinese restaurant with 'stiff drinks' that she and her husband, Trent, regularly frequent, according to court documents obtained by The Tri-City Herald. Seen through security cameras, prosecutors determined she and her husband were there for approximately four hours, leaving the establishment after ordering a pizza from Domino's just 10 minutes before the fatal crash occurred. 'Up to this point, I was unaware that the Moon Palace was currently a functional business even though I was aware the building was at this location,' Richland Office Steve Heid wrote in his report, obtained by The Tri-City Herald. 'The years that I've worked for the city of Richland, I had presumed that it was an abandoned building that used to function as a Chinese restaurant.' There is no record of a bill or a bar tab from the Clasens that day. Police are investigating whether Moon Palace destroyed any evidence of the two of them being there. Clasen told officers that Sanchez was driving fast when he was struck, but police reports found he was driving less than the speed limit when the accident occurred. According to documents obtained by The Tri-City Herald, Sanchez was going two miles below the posted speed limit of 55 mph. Clasen agreed to provide a written statement detailing what happened, but declined to do a field sobriety or a breath test.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Motorcyclist wasn't speeding when hit and killed by off-duty WSP trooper, police say
A Richland motorcyclist was driving less than the speed limit last month when an off-duty Washington State Patrol trooper suspected of driving drunk turned into his lane, killing him, according to recently released police reports. The speed was calculated by Richland Officer Eric Edwards using measurements he said show Jhoser Vega Sanchez was going about 2 mph below the posted speed limit of 55 mph. Vega Sanchez, 20, died after crashing into Trooper Sarah Clasen's SUV on Saturday, March 1. They didn't know each other but lived about a half mile apart in a Horn Rapids subdivision off Highway 240 in north Richland. The Lamb Weston employee had taken the 2002 Suzuki TL1000 motorcycle out for a ride, after asking his parents if he could go for a drive on the bike he'd recently purchased. Officer Edwards said that his conservative calculations showed Vega Sanchez's maximum speed was 53 mph. The calculation flies in the face of what Clasen, 35, told Richland investigators after the crash. The information was included in about 400 pages of police reports released by the city of Richland to the Tri-City Herald under the state's Public Records Act. The records show Clasen and her husband, a retired state trooper, had spent four hours at a Richland bar on Saturday before she stopped to pick up a pizza, drove about 4 miles to Horn Rapids and turned into her subdivision about 7:40 p.m., according to the reports. She told police she saw the headlight in the oncoming eastbound lane but thought it was a car with a light out and believed she had plenty of time to turn safely. 'Sarah told me that the motorcyclist was definitely going faster than the posted speed limit,' wrote Officer Steve Heid, who grew suspicious of her account compared to the evidence at the scene. Clasen eventually refused to answer questions about whether she had been drinking and to take any tests at the scene. Six hours later after a judge issued a search warrant to take a blood sample, her blood-alcohol level was 0.17% — more than double the legal limit of 0.08%, said the police reports. Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell, who is leading the investigation to avoid any local conflicts of interest, said this week that he has yet to decide on charges in the case because is waiting for some additional test results. Clasen remains on paid administrative leave pending the criminal investigation and an internal WSP investigation. Vega Sanchez had only recently gotten the motorcycle. 'He was very excited and enthusiastic about his motorcycle,' his mother Yolimar Sanchez-Barbosa told the Tri-City Herald. The day of the crash, he had worked a full shift at Lamb Weston and returned to the home where he lived with his mother and her boyfriend Ruben Sanchez-Guerra. Sanchez-Guerra told investigators that he talked to Jhoser about 6 p.m. 'Ruben advised that Jhoser was new to riding motorcycles and mentioned that he typically asked for permission to ride the motorcycle before driving it,' Officer Diego Reyes wrote in his report. 'Jhoser had only driven the motorcycle approximately three to four times since he got it.' Vega Sanchez told Sanchez-Guerra that he planned to ride the motorcycle around the Horn Rapids neighborhood because the weather was nice enough. 'Prior to this night, the last time Jhoser rode the motorcycle was about a week ago,' Skinner wrote in his report. Vega Sanchez's friend Ricardo Loeza told the Tri-City Herald, 'It's heartbreaking that his life was cut short, but we want people to remember him for the amazing person he was.' Richland police Sgt. Shawn Swanson said in his report that Vega Sanchez had no time to avoid the collision. 'Roadway evidence suggests that Vega Sanchez realized this was happening and he applied his brakes causing a skid mark on the ground,' he wrote. Vega Sanchez moved to the right side of his eastbound lane but Clasen's right front bumper hit the motorcycle and Vega Sanchez was thrown off, losing his helmet. The bike ended up wedged underneath her Kia Telluride. Richland Fire Department medics said Vega Sanchez suffered 'numerous life-threatening injuries,' and Clasen in her 911 call said she couldn't find Vega Sanchez's pulse. The newly released records include statements from three witnesses to the crash. One asked to remain anonymous and the others were a mother and daughter who saw the crash as they were headed home from a birthday party. They were pulling into a turn lane on the highway when the daughter spotted what she thought was an explosion. They then pulled up to the scene. At first, Clasen was on the phone inside her car and didn't get out until two men stopped and got out of their vehicle, the daughter told Heid and Richland Officer Kevon Skinner on March 6. '(The daughter) described Sarah (Clasen) as being confused and not knowing what to do,' said the report. '(Clasen) seemed nervous and didn't know what she was supposed to be doing. ... (Sarah) was walking back and forth not really knowing what to do.' The mother said Clasen seemed more like a scared teen than a seasoned police officer. She said the off-duty trooper didn't immediately get out of her SUV to start doing CPR. She estimated it took 30 seconds to a minute before Clasen started CPR. When Heid asked if Clasen's behavior matched what they would expect from a police officer, they both said no. The mother told officers, 'I'm certainly not an expert, but, ... , sorry fellas, my expectation of y'all is very high. You know? It did not seem like she knew what to do,' the report said. Clasen has been with the Washington State Patrol for 13 years and was this region's public information officer. Another witness spoke with officers on March 11 on the condition of anonymity. She explained she was in a car with her husband heading out of the Tri-Cities toward Mattawa on Highway 240 when she saw the two vehicles collide. 'According to (the witness) it appeared as though the female driver of the vehicle was trying to leave and would not initially exit her vehicle,' Officer Anthony Santana wrote. 'She explained that it looked like the vehicle had shut off and then turned back on, then moved forward about a meter, but could not move any further because the motorcycle was stuck underneath.' Since it looked like the Kia was trying to leave, the woman photographed the license plate. She did not turn over the pictures, said the report. Another driver stopped and approached the Kia, and that's when Clasen got out and began performing CPR, said investigators.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Off-duty WSP trooper allegedly spent 4 hours at bar before fatal Tri-Cities crash
State testing shows an off-duty Washington State Patrol trooper was still drunk hours after a fatal crash in Richland. The Washington State Patrol Seattle Toxicology Laboratory found Sarah Clasen's blood-alcohol level was 0.17% nearly six hours after the crash. That is more than double the legal limit of 0.08%. Her blood alcohol level is just one of several revelations included in nearly 400 pages of investigation reports from Richland police. The documents were released to the Tri-City Herald as part of a public records request. Her behavior also concerned bystanders who were trying to help. One witness told investigators that it appeared Clasen was trying to leave the scene, but couldn't, according to the documents. Clasen was driving a Kia Telluride on Highway 240 about 7:30 p.m. on March 1 when she started turning into Village Parkway in the Horn Rapids neighborhood. She told investigators she was going about 20 mph when she hit a motorcycle being driven by 20-year-old Jhoser Sanchez. While Clasen and firefighters tried to save Sanchez's life, he was severely injured and pronounced dead at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. Clasen refused to answer questions about whether she had been drinking, but the investigation found Clasen had spent nearly four hours at a local bar with her husband prior to the crash. Then after the crash, witnesses reported Clasen hesitated, and according to one person tried to drive away, before getting out of the Telluride. She was seen talking on the phone. One witness described her more like a nervous teenager than a seasoned police officer. Following the crash, it appeared the bar that served her, a cash-only business known for serving stiff drinks, may have destroyed evidence of her being there, investigators said in the reports. Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell told the Tri-City Herald on March 19 that he had asked for additional testing. Haskell has been asked to handle the case for the Benton County Prosecutor's Office because of Clasen's position as a Washington State Patrol trooper. She was a WSP public information officer for the region. Haskell didn't explain what type of testing he was looking for, but once it's finished his office 'will conduct a thorough review of the entire file.' At that point, they will decide whether Clasen should be charged and with what crime. Clasen, a 13-year veteran with the Washington State Patrol, served in the district that stretched between Yakima and Walla Walla. While Clasen was initially suspected of vehicular homicide, she was arrested under a 72-hour investigative hold. This means prosecutors would normally have three business days to hold someone in jail before deciding to file charges. Judge Diana Ruff decided to release Clasen after determining there were other means to stop her from putting the community in danger. No charges have been filed in the past month. The filing of charges in vehicular homicide investigations can vary widely depending on the case. For example, George R. Thomas IV was involved in a fatal Benton County wreck on May 24, 2024 but wasn't charged with vehicular homicide until nearly a month later. And Celcilo G. Romero was charged with vehicular homicide in February 2024 for allegedly driving recklessly in November 2023 when he crashed in Richland and killed Maria Vasquez Reyes, 17. Sarah Clasen and her husband Trent Clasen were regulars at the Moon Palace, according to the documents. The business on 228 Symons Street near the Uptown Shopping Center is listed as a Chinese Restaurant. The business only deals in cash and requires customers to come in through the side entrance, while keeping the front door locked, the police report said. A neighboring business owner said they are 'very heavy-handed' with the alcohol they include in their drinks. 'Up to this point, I was unaware that the Moon Palace was currently a functional business even though I was aware the building was at this location,' Richland Office Steve Heid wrote in his report. 'The years that I've worked for the city of Richland I had presumed that it was an abandoned building that used to function as a Chinese restaurant.' While the couple are regulars, staff told investigators they don't drink too much. Security cameras from businesses in the area showed Sarah Clasen arrive at the bar in a GMC Sierra and her husband was in the Kia Telluride. They showed up about 3:20 p.m. and were seen going into the bar. It's not clear how many drinks that they had during their time inside. Police said in their reports that they suspect the people running the business eliminated their tab. About the time they were leaving, Sarah Clasen ordered a pizza from the Domino's Pizza at 1408 Jadwin Ave. She picked it up about 7:30 p.m., less then 10 minutes before she would be involved in the crash. Vega-Sanchez worked the day shift at LambWeston as a tote dump operator before returning to his home about 4 p.m. on March 1. The man, who was described as a 'bright and loving' soul, had only recently started driving the motorcycle. His mother's boyfriend told investigators that he asked if he could ride it around the same Horn Rapids neighborhood. He'd only ridden the motorcycle about three or four times before, the police reports said. There was still a little bit of light left when he left the house about 6 p.m., his family told investigators. Richland police officials have said there is no reason to believe that he was being unsafe as he drove east on Highway 240. At the same time, Sarah Clasen said she was returning to her home with the pizza in the Kia Telluride. Her husband had already taken the GMC from the bar. Investigators believe she didn't judge the distance correctly and as she started turning she slammed into the motorcycle. Another driver, who spoke to police on the condition of anonymity, reported that in the moments after the crash, Sarah Clasen tried to flee, according to the reports. 'She explained that it looked like the vehicle had shut off and then turned back on, then moved forward about a meter, but could not move any further because the motorcycle was stuck underneath,' Richland police Officer Anthony Santana wrote in a report. It wasn't until other people approached her SUV that Sarah Clasen went into action and began helping at the scene, the witness said. Details of her inaction was echoed by two other witnesses. While they didn't see her try to drive away, they said Sarah Clasen seemed like a scared teenager who paced around. She then talked on the phone. It's unclear if this is when she was calling 911. While the Washington State Patrol would normally handle investigations that happen on state highways, the investigation was handed over to Richland police because it involved a trooper. Heid arrived on the scene about 9:16 p.m., according to body camera footage obtained by the Herald. He told Clasen that they were going to treat the investigation the same as if she were anyone else. Clasen explained she was returning home after picking up a pizza, and saw what appeared to be a car with a burned out headlight but believed she had enough space to turn safely. 'I was already slowing in the turn lane and saw him there, and I was like 'I have enough time,' I turned and as soon as I turned I just felt boom,' she said. She told the officer that she believed Sanchez was driving fast. She never mentioned her trip to the Moon Palace, and when Heid suggested doing field sobriety tests or a breath test, she declined to do 'any tests under the circumstances.' She did agree to give a written statement. When the officer came back and handed the form over, she suggested using the hood of her Kia to fill it out. Heid said in his report that this seemed odd since her vehicle was involved in the crash. 'I found her suggestion to be odd considering I would expect an experienced law enforcement officer to be aware that the involved vehicles in a major collision should not disturbed during the investigation,' Heid said. He said her eyes were 'slightly glossy and her speech was slurred.' He would also tell officers that she smelled slightly of alcohol. He considered that she might have been crying, but felt that there was enough suspicious behavior that suggested she was intoxicated. When he approached her a second time about the tests, she declined again. 'Even if there is a little, if I had a glass of wine earlier or something like that. I just don't want to do it,' Clasen said in body camera footage. 'I definitely don't feel impaired. I don't feel like impairment was an issue.' 'Did you have a glass of wine earlier?' Heid asked. 'I'm not going to answer,' Clasen responded. She was arrested shortly after this and brought to the Richland Police Department where a search warrant was written to take a sample of her blood. Her blood was taken at about 1:15 a.m., about five hours and 40 minutes after the crash. The sample was sent to the state patrol toxicology lab. She was then booked into the Benton County jail. Haskell was not available Monday to comment on potential charges.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Wrongful death suit filed against WA trooper accused in deadly DUI crash
A firm has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was killed in a crash involving an off-duty Washington State Trooper who was allegedly driving under the influence. On March 1, WSP Trooper Sarah Clasen was driving her personal vehicle on SR 240 in Richland when she is said to have hit a motorcyclist, 20-year-old Jhoser Enmanuel Vega-Sanchez, in the oncoming lane while making a turn. Vega-Sanchez was pronounced dead at the scene. Court documents allege Clasen was driving under the influence and that she had 'an odor of intoxicants coming from her person.' Clasen did not wish to take field sobriety tests or blood test initially. She has yet to be charged. Benton County prosecutors said Clasen was arrested and held for 72 hours on probable cause for committing a crime and was released from jail without bail on March 3. That same day, Benton County Prosecutor Eric Eisinger recused his office from the case because the trooper worked out of a local office. Since then, the Spokane Prosecuting Attorney's Office has taken over the case. A lawsuit was filed on behalf of the motorcyclists' family by Tamaki Law, asking for an unknown amount of damages. Clasen and her husband are named in the suit, though it is unclear why the latter is mentioned. In the suit, the family is 'requesting judgement against the defendants' and is seeking compensation that a court deems 'just and equitable,' as well as attorneys fees. 'These devastating losses were entirely preventable,' said Tamaki Law attorney Jeff Kreutz. 'Our clients are seeking justice, accountability, and change to ensure no other families endure the same heartbreak caused by impaired driving.' A GoFundMe has been set up for Vega-Sanchez's family to help cover funeral expenses.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
New details in deadly WA state trooper crash, victim family starts fundraiser
The Brief New details surrounding the fatal crash involving a Washington state trooper have been revealed through probable cause documents. The family of Jhoser Sanchez, the victim of the crash, has started an online fundraiser. RICHLAND, Wash. - New details surrounding the fatal crash involving a Washington state trooper have been revealed through probable cause documents. The crash happened in Richland, Washington, in Benton County, on the evening of March 1. Richland police arrested Sarah Clasen, a Washington State Patrol trooper who was off-duty at the time of the crash. She is accused of driving under the influence and causing the crash that killed 20-year-old Jhoser Sanchez. Sanchez was driving his motorcycle eastbound on State Route 240 when Clasen allegedly made a left turn in front of him, leading to the fatal collision. Sanchez's family has since started an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses. What they're saying According to the affidavit of one of the responding officers, Clasen said she was returning home from picking up Domino's Pizza, and she was turning onto Village Parkway from westbound SR 240. Clasen said she saw a vehicle light coming towards her as she made the turn, but thought it was a car with one of its headlights out, and believed she had enough time to safely make the turn, probable cause documents state. The officer noted Sanchez's motorcycle was under Clasen's SUV, with most of the damage concentrated to the SUV's passenger side front corner. Clasen allegedly said Sanchez was "going way faster than the posted speed limit," and that she "almost completed the turn at the time of impact." However, police said it appeared she had just begun to turn upon impact. Police said Clasen had slightly glossy eyes, disorganized statements, slurred speech and an odor of intoxicants coming from her over two hours after the crash. Officers said Clasen declined to complete field sobriety tests or a preliminary breath test, but did give a written statement consisting of six sentences. The officer's statement said, "an attentive driver should have been able to see the motorcyclist prior to the collision." Clasen was booked into jail for suspicion of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, and was later released on her own recognizance. Police said they collected a blood sample, which was pending analysis as of Monday. The Source Information in this story is from probable cause documents from Benton County Superior Court, GoFundMe and FOX 13 Seattle reporting. Child hit, killed by car at Seattle middle school Wheel user slaps anti-Elon sticker on Tesla Cybertruck in Seattle traffic Video shows WA ATM theft suspect try to escape 'like a jackrabbit' Ferguson delays WA hybrid electric ferry conversions to restore pre-pandemic service Idaho police find 3-person mixture of DNA under Maddie Mogen's fingernails To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
