BOTHELL — A man with a suspended license is being investigated for vehicular homicide in connection with a Thursday morning collision that killed an Everett man on Highway 527, the Washington State Patrol reported.
The accident just north of Highway 524 at Thrasher’s Corner, blocked northbound lanes and slowed the commute. It occurred about 7:10 a.m.
Traffic in the area was slowed for hours.
“We have indications that drugs were used, or a combination of drugs and alcohol,” trooper Keith Leary said.
Witnesses reported that a Bothell man, 31, was driving erratically before the collision. His 2000 Honda Accord was southbound when it crossed into the northbound lanes and hit a 1991 Buick LeSabre driven by the Everett-area man, Leary said. Gale T. Arnold, 63, died at the scene.
After hitting the first car, the Honda sideswiped a 2007 Mazda driven by a Bothell woman, 31. She was not injured.
The Honda then hit a sidewalk and rolled.
The Honda’s driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He was expected to survive his injuries.
“I’m told he will be in Harborview for a couple of days,” Leary said.
The crash appears to have been preventable, Leary said.
“The man (who died) was minding his own business and was tragically killed by a driver we suspect was impaired,” Leary said.
In Washington, impaired driving from drugs or alcohol remains the most frequent factor contributing to traffic deaths.
In 2009, traffic accidents killed 491 people on Washington’s roadways. Impaired drivers were responsible for nearly 54 percent of the accidents.
The State Patrol is asking anyone who witnessed the accident or the Honda driving before the collision to call 360-654-1204.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com
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