A Washington State Patrol trooper who was involved in six on-the-job traffic accidents, including a fatal one in Mill Creek, has been fired for lying.
Trooper Jason Crandall was terminated following a seven-month investigation, said Capt. Jeff DeVere, chief spokesman for the patrol.
He said Crandall was terminated Aug. 12 after he lied to another trooper.
The firing was hailed by Dan Loshbaugh, whose son, Brock, was run over and killed by Crandall three years ago.
In another recent development related to the incident that killed Brock Loshbaugh, Snohomish County prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges against Crandall, said Mark Roe, the county’s chief criminal deputy.
“I don’t think the trooper committed a crime,” Roe said. “Regardless of how tragic the loss of life is, we don’t charge people with crimes if we don’t think they committed them, no matter who they are.”
Regarding the lying incident, DeVere said Crandall was “exceeding the speed limit” on I-5 when he passed the other trooper, who radioed Crandall to ask where he was going. Crandall told the other trooper he was on his way to meet a lieutenant. The trooper later discovered that Crandall had lied and brought it the attention of his commanding officer, DeVere said.
Despite Crandall’s previous accidents, DeVere said they were not related to his firing.
“Honesty and integrity are core values in the Washington State Patrol. When it’s proven someone lies, they can no longer effectively serve,” he said.
DeVere said that since his firing, Crandall has appealed his termination to a disciplinary review board, a process that could take several months.
Crandall hit Brock Loshbaugh, 22, on Feb. 19, 2002, as Loshbaugh was crossing the Bothell-Everett Highway at night. Because Loshbaugh had been drinking and was not in a crosswalk, Crandall was not punished.
In the 16 months following that accident, Crandall was at fault in three more accidents while on duty. He was reprimanded each time, but never cited for a traffic violation, and he continued to patrol.
In January, the state apologized to Loshbaugh’s parents, Dan and Melodee Loshbaugh, and agreed to pay them $150,000 to settle the family’s lawsuit.
After the accident, the Loshbaughs worked to make the patrol more accountable, and in April their efforts resulted in a new law – the Brock Loshbaugh Act – which required the patrol to establish a policy for dealing with troopers who cause serious accidents.
A recent report says an outside investigator should be appointed whenever a trooper is involved in a traffic accident.
David Grant can be reached at david.grant@kingcounty journal.com or 425-453-4237.
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