A Washington State Patrol trooper named Sarah Lee Clasen, 35, allegedly struck motorcyclist Jhoser Sanchez with her vehicle on Saturday, March 3, killing him while drunk. In an affidavit, a police officer wrote that he smelled alcohol. When prompted, Clasen refused to take a breathalyzer test.
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According to the New York Post, Clasen was driving her vehicle down State Route 240 in Richland at around 7:40 p.m. on Saturday. While attempting to make a left turn, she struck Sanchez, who was riding his motorbike, police said during a
press conference. Washington state troopers attempted to save Sanchez's life and rushed him to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead after arrival.Since Sara Lee Clasen is a trooper herself, the investigation was transferred to Richland police as soon as the fact was discovered. In an affidavit obtained by Tri-City Herald, Officer Steve Heid details several inconsistencies with Clasen's account of the incident. She told police investigators that she only saw a single light while turning left, believing it to be a car with a missing headlight.
"Sarah told me that the motorcyclist was definitely going faster than the posted speed limit," Heid wrote in the affidavit. However, when inspecting Clasen's vehicle, he noted that the damage sustained by it didn't match Clasen's story.
Heid wrote that most of the damage sustained by Clasen's SUV was to the right front side of the vehicle. This meant that the evidence was not consistent with her claim that she had almost finished with the left turn.
"She would have just begin [sic] to turn at the time of impact," Hied wrote. "Also, the motorcycle was almost completely under the front of her vehicle as it rested on the side of the roadway".
A Glass Of Wine
Heid believed Clasen had "a clear view of oncoming traffic." To him, any "attentive driver" would have been able to see Sanchez driving his motorcycle and prevent a collision. That's when he asked Clasen to perform a sobriety or breathalyzer test. Clasen refused, telling him that she "knows how it works."
Surprised by her statement, Heid asked what she meant. In a hypothetical answer, Clasen mentioned a glass of wine. "I responded at this time by asking her if she had a glass of wine earlier," Heid wrote. "Sarah told me that she was not going to answer that question."
Sarah Lee Clasen was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. Her defense has argued that there is not enough evidence to move forward with her case. Attorneys argued that Heid had no experience in dealing with crash scenes, that Sanchez was speeding, and that Heid said that he smelled alcohol, but didn't specify that it came from Clasen's breath.
Sarah Lee Clasen remains on administrative leave, waiting for the outcome of her criminal case, according to Sgt. Jermaine Walker.
State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste issued a statement, addressing the fatal crash.
"The Washington State Patrol offers our sincerest condolences to the victim and their loved ones," Batiste said. "We are reminded in times like these that law enforcement officers are not immune from tragedy nor from personal accountability, and we urge all motorists to always drive with focus, care and caution."
