A Washington State Patrol officer, Sarah Lee Clasen, 35, has been charged with vehicular homicide following a fatal collision with a motorcyclist. The incident occurred on State Route 240 in Richland, approximately 200 miles southeast of Seattle, around 7:40 p.m. on a recent Saturday. The victim, 20-year-old Jhoser Sanchez, was struck by Clasen’s vehicle as she attempted to make a left turn at an intersection.
According to Damon Jansen, Richland Police Department’s commander of investigations, the collision occurred when Sanchez’s motorcycle hit the front right corner of Clasen’s vehicle. State troopers arrived at the scene and attempted life-saving measures on Sanchez before he was transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
The investigation was initially handled by state troopers, but upon discovering that Clasen was an off-duty member of their agency, the case was transferred to the Richland police. During their initial investigation, officers noted several inconsistencies in Clasen’s account of the incident, observed her slurred speech, and noticed her glassy eyes.
Clasen claimed she was returning home after picking up a pizza when she began to turn and collided with Sanchez. However, Officer Steve Heid, who wrote the affidavit, noted that the motorcycle was almost completely under the front of her vehicle as it rested on the side of the roadway. Heid also mentioned that Clasen had a clear view of oncoming traffic and believes that an attentive driver should have been able to see the motorcyclist before causing the collision.
Heid suspected alcohol involvement and asked Clasen to take a breathalyzer test, which she declined. Clasen was subsequently arrested at the scene and booked into the Benton County Jail on a 72-hour hold for vehicular homicide. Investigators have since obtained a court-authorized search warrant for a blood sample.
Following her release from jail, a Benton County judge ordered Clasen not to drive any vehicles unless an ignition interlock device was installed. She was also ordered to obtain an alcohol monitoring device within 48 hours of her release. The Benton County Prosecutor’s Office has announced its intention to request a special prosecutor to oversee the case to ensure impartiality.
Clasen’s defense attorney, Scott Johnson, argued that the affidavit only mentioned Heid smelling alcohol but did not specify it was on Clasen’s breath. Johnson also highlighted that his client attempted to perform CPR on Sanchez immediately after the collision. Clasen, who was hired by the Washington State Patrol in 2012 and worked as a public information officer, has been placed on administrative leave following the incident.