Authorities say that an illegal immigrant has been charged in connection with the death of a Washington State Patrol trooper who was killed after he smashed into his cruiser on a highway close to Seattle over the weekend.
According to a news release, authorities say that Trooper Christopher M. Gadd, 27, died on Saturday at around 3:00 a.m. when a driver struck his parked patrol car on the side of Interstate 5 in Marysville, which is approximately thirty miles north of Seattle.
He is survived by his wife, Cammryn, daughter Kaelyn; father and fellow Trooper David Gadd; mother, Gillian; and sister, Jacqueline.
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The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reports that the suspect, Raul Benitez Santana, 33, was apprehended at the scene of the collision.
According to the county prosecutor’s office, he has been charged with vehicular homicide on Tuesday.
Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste told CNN that he had expressed the agency’s “profound sorrow” to Gadd’s family.
“Chris’ passing is a devastating loss to his family, who knows all too well about the risk of public safety service. … Three members of their family proudly served within this profession,” Batiste said in a news conference Saturday.
According to the arrest affidavit, Santana, a 33-year-old Mexican national who entered the country illegally “at an unknown date and time, without admission or parole by an immigration officer,” confessed to smoking a bowl of marijuana at around 9 p.m. and “admitted to having one drink of alcohol prior to the collision.”
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According to ICE, Santana was first stopped by the agency in October 2013 in Burien, Washington, after he was detained on suspicion of “failure to appear” following an accusation that he had driven with a suspended license.
Santana has been placed under immigration detention by immigration officials in Seattle, according to an ICE spokesperson.
Officials say Santana took a voluntary preliminary breath test about three and a half hours after the crash on Saturday, and the result was a.047 reading.
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According to federal law, all states must have a BAC limit of no more than 0.08%.
According to the outlet, Santana appeared in court on Monday and is currently being held at the Snohomish County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Santana is being held on charges of vehicular homicide in connection with Gadd’s death, as well as vehicular assault in connection with harm sustained by the driver of a third vehicle.
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