An off-duty Washington state trooper, 35-year-old Sarah Clasen, is accused of fatally striking a motorcyclist while drunk. Months after the fatal charge, she has now been charged.
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As reported by Law & Crime, Clasen was charged with vehicular homicide on Thursday, September 4. This comes more than six months after the March 1 crash, which resulted in the death of 20-year-old Jhoser Vega Sanchez.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by the outlet detailed that, before the crash, Clasen exited a “drinking establishment.” After getting in her 2023 Kia, she picked up a pizza from Domino’s Pizza and continued driving on State Route 240, as per the affidavit.
However, when she turned left onto Village Parkway, she allegedly “failed to yield the right of way to Vega Sanchez.” This caused Vega Sanchez to be struck by Clasen’s vehicle, the affidavit said. The document detailed that evidence showed Vega Sanchez was driving at 54 MPH in a 55 MPH zone.
KREM reported that Clasen told police she was driving at 20 MPH at the time of the crash.
As a result of the crash, Vega Sanchez was severely injured. He was pronounced dead at Kadlec Regional Medical Center.
Alleged Fatal DUI Crash
Shockingly, witnesses told police that they believed Clasen was attempting to flee the scene, and that her behavior “was not consistent tot what they would expect for an off-duty police officer who was just involved with a collision,” the affidavit alleged.
According to police, Clasen’s speech was slurred, and she struggled to make organized statements. Moreover, she allegedly displayed no empathy following the crash and “laughed casually” at the scene.
As per KREM, Sarah Clasen allegedly refused to take a field sobriety test. After securing a warrant, her blood alcohol test results indicated she was intoxicated at the time of the crash, police said.
Clasen’s attorney, Scott Johnson, issued a statement before the charges were filed.
“In today’s world, people demand instant answers and then rush to judgment,” Johnson said. “However, drawing conclusions without all the facts is not only irresponsible, but also unjust to our client. She deserves, and the law demands that she receives, fair and impartial proceedings—not a system biased against her.”
Clasen and her husband have been sued by the Vega Sanchez family.