Witnesses told deputies one vehicle ran a four-way stop before a fatal collision in Whatcom County.
FERNDALE, Wash. — The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said one person was killed Thursday morning in a two-vehicle crash involving a stolen vehicle.
Deputies responded around 5:45 a.m. to the crash at West Axton Road and Northwest Avenue in Ferndale.
Witnesses reported that one of the drivers had walked away from the scene, while the other driver was trapped inside a vehicle and unresponsive.
Aid crews worked to get the trapped driver out of the vehicle, but the person was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies later found a 28-year-old man who matched the description of the driver who left the crash. Investigators said he had fresh blood and cuts on his hands, along with bruising consistent with being in a collision while wearing a seat belt.
A witness told deputies the man’s vehicle had been traveling north on Northwest Drive at a high rate of speed as it approached Axton Road.
The sheriff’s office said the vehicle went through a four-way stop and hit the other vehicle. Deputies said surveillance footage from nearby businesses later confirmed the witness reports.
The man denied knowing about the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.
While deputies were investigating the crash, Bellingham police learned a vehicle had been reported stolen from the 200 block of Bakerview Road.
Security footage from the home showed the same man taking the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said the vehicle involved in the crash was confirmed to be the stolen vehicle.
Deputies said they established probable cause to arrest the man for investigation of driving under the influence, vehicular homicide, possession of a stolen vehicle and second-degree driving while license revoked.
The intersection was closed around 6:30 a.m. and was expected to reopen early Thursday afternoon.
Drivers were asked to avoid the area.
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