Couple struck by car and killed are identified

Published 9:00 pm Monday, December 1, 2003

The couple who were struck and killed by a car last week in Arlington have been identified.

Margaret Southern, 52, of Arlington and Wayne Ness, 48, of Marysville were killed as a result of injuries suffered when a Toyota 4Runner struck them as they ran across a street, according to the Snohomish County medical examiner’s office.

Investigators from the sheriff’s office ruled the collision an accident and said no charges would be filed.

Southern and Ness were crossing Smokey Point Boulevard at 188th Street NE after leaving the Longhorn Tavern about 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 25. The location is not well-lighted, and it was raining, police said.

Marysville

Delays expected with bridge repairs: Motorists traveling Highway 529 in the Marysville-Everett area could face delays Wednesday through Friday at the Steamboat and Ebey slough bridges. Work crews have repaired the three bridges over the past two years, and minor mechanical work is scheduled those three days on the Ebey Slough bridge. State Department of Transportation crews will be testing the mechanical and electrical controls of the northbound Steamboat Slough bridge from 9 tonight to 5 a.m. Wednesday. The bridge also may need testing in the evenings through Friday or longer. The northbound bridge will be put through rigorous testing to help trouble-shoot electrical problems. With this type of bridge, there is a chance it won’t close during testing. A nearby tugboat will close the bridge if it doesn’t on its own.

Fire damages house: Marysville fire officials on Monday estimated damage from a house fire Friday night at $55,000 to the home and $20,000 to its contents. The fire at 12:25 p.m. at 5326 105th St. NE apparently began in a downstairs bedroom after items were left too close to an electric wall heater, Marysville Fire District spokesman Nathan Trauernicht said. The fire caused moderate heat and smoke damage to the house and extensive damage to the room where the fire began, he said. Two adults and five children who live there were alerted by a smoke detector and escaped without injury.

Lynnwood

Man caught stealing gum: Criminal defendants charged with first-degree theft usually take expensive automobiles or dip into the company till. Not a 20-year-old California man, who walked into a Wal-Mart store on 164th Street SW, filled a tote cart full of nicotine gum and allegedly walked out without paying. The man was stopped by store security outside, and the gum, valued at $3,000, was recovered, according to court documents filed Monday charging him with first-degree theft. A stolen item valued at $1,500 or more constitutes first-degree theft. The defendant allegedly told store employees he came from California with three other men with plans to shoplift from various Wal-Mart stores, documents say. The man’s identity is in question. He’s being held on $5,000 bail.

From Herald staff reports