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Law enforcement contacted 5,330 motorists in honor of fallen trooper

Published 1:30 am Monday, October 13, 2025

By Jenna Millikan

Two troopers place a photo of slain Washington State Patrol trooper Chris Gadd outside district headquarters about 12 hours after Gadd was struck and killed in a crash on southbound I-5 on March 2 in Marysville. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
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Two troopers place a photo of slain Washington State Patrol trooper Chris Gadd outside district headquarters about 12 hours after Gadd was struck and killed in a crash on southbound I-5 on March 2 in Marysville. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Two troopers place a photo of slain Washington State Patrol trooper Chris Gadd outside district headquarters about 12 hours after Gadd was struck and killed in a crash on southbound I-5 on March 2 in Marysville. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Two troopers place a photo of slain Washington State Patrol trooper Chris Gadd outside WSP District 7 Headquarters about twelve hours after Gadd was struck and killed in a collision on southbound I-5 about a mile from the headquarters in 2024 in Marysville. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

EVERETT — Law enforcement contacted 5,330 motorists across Washington in the span of one weekend during their second annual One More Stop emphasis patrol in honor of 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 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.

Hosted by the Washington State Patrol and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the One More Stop emphasis patrol begins each year on or near Sept. 27 in recognition of Gadd’s 927 badge number.

Consisting of every available trooper, the 2025 emphasis patrol ran from 4 p.m. Sept. 26 to 5 a.m. Sept. 29. Law enforcement from Washington, Oregon and Idaho conducted traffic stops focused on drunk driving, aggressive driving, speed and any behaviors consistent with drunk driving.

Of the 5,330 motorists contacted by state, county and municipal law enforcement officers in Washington, 46% were issued citations for infractions and 54% were issued a warning, according to a press release. Additionally, 109 individuals were booked on suspicion of driving under the influence, and 144 were booked on suspicion of other offenses or warrants.

The most common infraction cited was speeding, making up 28% of the motorists. Four percent of citations were for distracted driving, and 2.6% were for seatbelt and passenger restraint violations, the release said.

Last year, Washington troopers made more than 4,600 traffic stops, removed 68 impaired drivers, contacted more than 1,600 drivers for excessive speed and issued around 2,500 warnings, a 2024 press release said.

“As we learned from the tragic loss of Trooper Christopher Gadd, impairment and speed are a fatal combination,” said Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste in the release Thursday. “I’m proud of the dedicated efforts of troopers, deputies and officers across Washington, and our counterparts from Oregon and Idaho, who continue to honor his memory through their commitment to making our roads safer.”

Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan

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