Deputies rule Kennewick woman’s death in burning car accidental

When detectives investigating the peculiar death of Carol J. Haugen searched her home Nov. 16, signs were everywhere of the mental health issues the Kennewick woman battled for decades.

Just hours earlier, a Richland resident at the west end of Gage Boulevard heard an explosion and noticed a Nissan SUV on fire off a dirt path in a sagebrush canyon.

When firefighters finished dousing the flames, the 55-year-old Haugen’s burned body was found inside.

There were no signs of a crime. And lab tests showed no illegal drugs or alcohol. Her death has been ruled accidental.

Her two adult sons told investigators that their mother suffered from a bipolar disorder, characterized by severe mood swings, and from anxiety, preferring to stay shut off from the outside world. She apparently didn’t keep in touch with friends and had little contact with other relatives.

Haugen’s ex-husband told detectives he hadn’t spoken to her in years.

Investigators believe Haugen’s mental state likely contributed to the crash and fire that killed her. Information from family members revealed she was showing signs of a mental breakdown before the fire, said Detective Sgt. Kevin McCary, with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

McCary did not go into specifics, other than to say Haugen, who had worked as a credit union teller, was having mental health issues.

“It was a lifelong challenge,” he said.

Mysterious and unexpected death

Detectives combed through her five-bedroom home on West Deschutes Drive for clues to explain what led to her mysterious, unexpected death.

Prescription pill bottles, some empty and others full, littered the master bathroom. A small, unkempt dog ran loose through the house. There were feces scattered in different rooms and no sign of food for the animal.

It appeared to detectives she was a hoarder.

“The interior of the residence was cluttered and the floors were dirty as if they had not been swept or vacuumed in some time,” wrote Detective Larry Smith in police reports. “Mail of all sorts was piled on the kitchen counters and table.”

Exactly why Haugen drove into the canyon remains unanswered.

Several neighbors reported seeing the X-Terra driving off-road in the brush about 6 p.m. Nov. 15, a day before she was found dead, police reports said. They heard the car’s engine revving and tires spinning, though the headlights that shone out into the dark night didn’t move.

“It was assumed the driver got stuck,” wrote Detective Scott Runge in police reports. “Nobody notified law enforcement of the issue until the next day (at 1:02 p.m.) when witnesses saw the car on fire.”

Police found the SUV angled off the dirt path. Tire tracks showed the vehicle drove west on Gage Boulevard before heading south onto a private driveway. It then veered off the road into grass and started going downhill in the canyon.

Investigators believe the SUV’s exhaust caught cheatgrass on fire and flames quickly engulfed the car. It’s unclear how long the car was running before the fire started and whether she was conscious.

An autopsy showed Haugen died from smoke inhalation and burns, according to the Benton County Coroner’s Office.

Case not officially closed

The sheriff’s office is awaiting official DNA results to positively confirm the body is Haugen before closing the case, McCary said.

“It’s been ruled accidental,” McCary said. “There’s no intention that she went out there to harm herself.”

It’s unknown if Haugen reached out for professional help before her death.

Members of Haugen’s family either declined to talk about the case or didn’t return requests to speak with the Herald.

Randi Hankins, a mental health professional with Crisis Response, told the Herald that there are red flags family and friends can look for if someone is possibly suffering a mental breakdown.

Drastic changes in eating or sleeping habits, thoughts of self-harm or violence, and hallucinations or delusional thoughts can all be warning signs that someone needs mental health help, Hankins said.

“Any of those things would be immediate red flags to contact us,” she said.

This story was originally published March 7, 2016 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Deputies rule Kennewick woman’s death in burning car accidental."