Man killed in suspected drunken driving crash on I-5

Published 7:13 am Monday, March 22, 2010

EVERETT — One man was killed early this morning in a suspected drunken driving crash that blocked I-5 southbound for hours. The driver is expected to be jailed for investigation of vehicular homicide.

The crash occurred around 3 a.m. just north of Highway 526, Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said.

The suspected drunken driver, an Everett man, 21, slammed his vehicle into an abandoned pickup truck that was parked alongside the freeway, Leary said.

His passenger, who has not been identified, died at the scene. He’s believed to be in his 20s. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner is expected to conduct an autopsy.

Investigators said they found a case of beer, many bottles opened, in the vehicle.

The driver was taken to an Everett hospital for treatment, Leary said. He’s expected to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail later today.

Traffic on I-5 was detoured while investigators collected evidence. The freeway was reopened around 6 a.m. but traffic was backed up for miles.

Troopers made 60 drunken driving arrests in Snohomish County over the weekend, Leary said. The goal is to arrest drivers before they cause tragedies.

“These are things we want to prevent,” Leary said.