Posted on 03/02/2025 8:15:20 PM PST by steve86
A Washington State Patrol trooper was in jail after a crash that killed a motorcycle driver Saturday night on Highway 240 in Richland. Sarah Lee Clasen, 35, a trooper who also serves as the Tri-Cities area spokesperson for WSP, was listed as an inmate of the Benton County jail Sunday morning. She was being held on suspicion of negligent vehicular homicide in the death of a Richland man. Jhoser Sanchez, who was driving the motorcycle, died, according to Dennis Morris, the Benton County chief deputy coroner. Crash details were not immediately available, but Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste released a memo saying that Saturday evening a trooper was involved in a collision resulting in a death. There were no other injuries, he said.
The trooper was not on duty and was driving their personal vehicle, according to Batiste. The Richland Police Department posted that the driver of a car involved in a crash with a motorcycle about 7:40 p.m. Saturday on Highway 240 near Horn Rapids Road was suspected of driving under the influence and booked into jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide. Sanchez was taken by ambulance to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy is planned by the coroner’s office. An independent investigation of the collision is being done by the Richland Police Department, according to Batiste. The Washington state Department of Transportation closed Highway 240 at milepost 26, which is about three miles northwest of the Jadwin Avenue intersection. Westbound traffic could not proceed past Kingsgate Way, but a detour was available for eastbound traffic. Batiste said he was confident that Richland police would investigate the case “with great care and professionalism” and that WSP would cooperate with the investigation. “We are reminded in times like these that law enforcement officers are not immune from tragedy nor from personal accountability,” he said in the memo. This story was originally published March 2, 2025 at 10:45 AM.
Read more at: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/crime/article301275184.html#storylink=cpy
Or click this for photo
No comment pending lab reports.
She looks innocent.
It was a nice, warm day and lots of bikes were out, but this occurred an hour and a half or so after sunset.
She must have turned in front of him or something like that. Or run into from behind? We do have problems with Moto-GP wanna-be motorcyclists on that road but no information has been released that he was speeding.
Looking sweet and perky in her uniform.
Clearly, Not Guilty!
“The trooper was not on duty and was driving “their” personal vehicle.”
_____________________________________________________________
“Their?” Shouldn’t it be “her” personal vehicle?
Or is “their” her preferred pronoun?
The off-duty trooper, Sarah Clasen, was driving her personal vehicle and taken into custody related to the crash in Richland, Washington on Mar. 1.
I think their means she’s married or has a pardner.
Every biker is only one left turn away from disaster .
If you want to stay alive you learn to keep that in mind when approaching ANYTHING that even remotely resembles an intersection.
I’m sure that makes him feel better about being dead.
Shame on you.
Doesn’t matter.
Apparently hot chicks can kill people without guilt.
Helluva price to pay for being stylish.
She looks like two drinks would knock her on her perky little butt.
WSP Chief is crooked as they come. Before he was hired to be the WSP Chief, he was the New Orleans police chief. What else do you need to know?
She looks pretty frail to be headed for prison. Plus, an ex cop? I heard that ex cops don’t last long in prison.
Then someone hits you from behind?
No thanks.
She couldn’t possibly be guilty.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.