Off-duty WSP trooper’s trial for deadly crash pushed back again. Here’s why
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Trial delayed three months after defense requested more time.
- Defense cites incomplete discovery and complex evidence in vehicular homicide case.
- Trooper Sarah Clasen allegedly had 0.17% BAC after crash that killed Jhoser Vega Sanchez.
A Washington State Patrol trooper’s trial for a deadly crash near Horn Rapids was pushed back by another three months.
Sarah Clasen’s defense attorneys asked for more time as they prepare to face vehicular homicide charges. Clasen was allegedly drunk when she hit and killed Jhoser Vega Sanchez on March 1.
The trial was scheduled for Feb. 23, defense attorney Scott Johnson told the Tri-City Herald that he’s asked for it to be moved to May 18. Her next court date is scheduled for March 11.
“As evidenced by the months it took the State to complete its investigation, this is a highly complex case,” Johnson said. “The defense did not receive any discovery until September and has still not received all discovery.”
The defense is working with its experts to analyze the evidence they have, while waiting for the rest of the information from prosecutors, Johnson said.
Clasen, a 13-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol, was off-duty and returning home to the Horn Rapids neighborhood near Richland after allegedly spending four hours at a Richland bar.
As she turned left from Highway 240 to Village Parkway, her Kia Telluride collided with a 2002 Suzuki TL1000 motorcycle heading east on Highway 240. Vega Sanchez, 20, was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, where he died.
Investigation into Trooper’s crash
Richland police officer Steve Heid became suspicious that Clasen may have been drinking after interviewing her at the scene.
He said her eyes were a little glossy, he could faintly smell alcohol, and she had multiple misspellings on her short written statement about what happened. She refused to take a preliminary breath test at the scene and was arrested.
The Washington State Patrol’s toxicology laboratory determined that her blood-alcohol level was 0.17%, over twice the legal limit, when her blood was drawn six hours after the crash.
While she initially told investigators that she had been home that night and left to get pizza, police soon learned that she had been at The Moon Palace Restaurant in Richland, where she and her husband were regulars.
Delays in the case
While Clasen was arrested following the crash, she was released on her own recognizance and not initially charged as the investigation continued, and the prosecution was referred to Spokane County to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
She was charged six months later with vehicular homicide while driving drunk. She pleaded innocent to the charge in late September.