WSP Trooper accused of killing motorcyclist in DUI wreck is resigning

A veteran Washington State Patrol trooper has resigned more than a year after allegedly killing a motorcyclist in a drunken crash.

The Washington State Patrol announced that Sarah Clasen, 36, will leave her position as of April 1.

“As her trial is ongoing, we will not be able to comment further on her service in the agency, our processes in these matters, or the events leading to her arrest and adjudication until all court proceedings are concluded,” said Chris Loftis with the Washington State Patrol.

Clasen, a 13-year veteran with the state patrol, has been on paid administrative leave with the agency since the March 1, 2025 crash that killed 20-year-old Jhoser Vega Sanchez.

She is accused of having a blood-alcohol level of 0.17%, more than twice the legal limit, six hours after they collided at the intersection of Highway 240 and Village Parkway.

She started with the state patrol in 2010 as a cadet, and then was hired as a trooper in 2012. She began working in the Yakima area, then transferred to the Kennewick office in 2019, officials previously said.

Clasen worked as a state patrol public information officer for the area that stretches between Yakima and Walla Walla. She had been the voice of the agency for a number of deadly crashes.

Since she was facing criminal charges, the state patrol couldn’t move forward with its discipline process, according to officials.

While she is leaving the agency, it’s not clear if how it will impact her certification to be a police officer in Washington state.

She continues to be charged with DUI vehicular homicide in Benton County Superior Court. Her trial was recently pushed back and is now scheduled for Sept. 28.

Fatal crash

Clasen was returning to her home in the Horn Rapids neighborhood after spending four hours at a Richland bar with her husband.

As she turned left from Highway 240 to Village Parkway, her Kia Telluride collided with a 2002 Suzuki TL1000 motorcycle heading east. Vega Sanchez was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, where he died.

Richland police officer Steve Heid became suspicious that Clasen may have been drinking after interviewing her at the scene.

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%, more than 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 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. The handling of her case was referred to Spokane County to avoid potential local conflicts of interest with prosecutors.

She was charged six months later with DUI vehicular homicide, pleaded innocent to the charge and remains out of jail without bail.

This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 5:25 PM.