One More Stop targets drunk driving this weekend in honor of fallen trooper
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 24, 2025
EVERETT — In an effort to curb drunk driving, law enforcement officers across multiple states will join troopers from the Washington State Patrol in an emphasis patrol to honor fallen WSP trooper Christopher Gadd.
Around 3 a.m. March 2, 2024, Gadd, 27, parked on the southbound shoulder of I-5 near Marysville while on patrol. Raul Benitez Santana, 34, returning from a bar in Mount Vernon, merged his black SUV into the shoulder, slamming into Gadd’s patrol vehicle. The impact killed Gadd nearly instantly.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Karen Moore sentenced Benitez Santana to 125 months for vehicular homicide and 14 months for vehicular assault. Upon release, he will serve 18 months of community custody.
“He was on his way to a detachment break, but instead of actually going to the detachment break, he chose to try one more stop,” Trooper Kameron Watts said. “Trooper Gadd’s work ethic, his dedication to the public and to safety, that’s what we’re going to honor with this specific emphasis patrol.”
In its second year, law enforcement from Washington, Oregon and Idaho will conduct traffic stops in Gadd’s honor, according to a Washington State Patrol press release.
Consisting of every available trooper, One More Stop will run from 4 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, said Washington State Patrol spokesperson Brad Tulloch.
“It’s everybody that’s not on vacation,” he said.
Emphasis patrols target certain violations by putting extra officers in an area, said Watts. One More Stop focuses on drunk driving, aggressive driving, speed and any behaviors consistent with drunk drivers.
Watts participated in the 2024 One More Stop patrol in Pierce and Thurston counties.
“The actual work behind it is no different, but the motivation behind it is significant,” Watts said.
Gadd was part of the 116th Trooper Basic Training class. Upon graduation in November 2022, he was assigned to Marysville.
“Trooper Gadd was actually in my academy class,” Tulloch said. “It doesn’t just affect families, it also affects you, getting those drunk drivers off the road.”
About 30% of traffic fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2023, one person was killed in a drunken-driving crash every 42 minutes.
The One More Stop emphasis patrol begins each year on or near Sept. 27 in recognition of Gadd’s 927 badge number.
According to a Washington State Patrol press release, troopers made around 4,600 traffic stops, removed 68 impaired drivers, contacted more than 1,600 drivers for excessive speed and issued around 2,500 warnings last year.
“Law enforcement officers work tirelessly to make our roads safer. We can honor them and keep them safe, too, by driving sober and following the speed limit,” said Shelly Baldwin, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, in a press release. “High visibility patrols are an important reminder that we each have the power to keep ourselves and others safe on our roads.”
Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan
