A 2023 Toyota Tacoma was reported stolen in Bellingham before a fatal crash minutes later, charging documents say.
BELLINGHAM, Wash — A man accused of stealing a Toyota Tacoma in Bellingham and crashing it minutes later in Whatcom County, killing another driver, has been charged, according to court documents.
Dale R. Alderman was charged in Whatcom County Superior Court with vehicular homicide, felony hit-and-run, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, driving under the influence, second-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license, and third-degree theft.
The charges stem from a May 14 crash at West Axton Road and Northwest Drive.
Court documents say a 2023 Toyota Tacoma was reported stolen from 282 East Bakerview Road in Bellingham shortly after 5:30 a.m.
The owner told police he left the keys inside the truck while he briefly went back to the residence. When he returned, the pickup was gone.
About nine minutes later, dispatchers received a 911 call about a two-vehicle crash involving the Tacoma and a gray Honda CR-V, according to the documents.
Witnesses told deputies the Tacoma was on Northwest Drive when it failed to yield at a four-way stop and hit the driver’s side of the Honda as the Honda crossed the intersection, court documents say.
The crash caused the Honda to spin and come to rest several hundred feet north of the intersection.
The Honda’s driver was trapped and unresponsive when deputies arrived. Fire crews worked to free him from the vehicle, but he later died from his injuries, according to the documents.
A witness reported seeing a man walking or running after the crash, when deputies eventually arrested him.
Deputies noted fresh cuts on Alderman’s forehead and chin, blood on his shirt and hands, and a bruise forming on his left shoulder that they said was consistent with being in a crash while wearing a seat belt.
Court documents say Alderman denied knowing about the crash and said he had been walking from Bellingham.
He also told deputies several times he was intoxicated and was not driving, according to the documents.
Investigators later learned Bellingham police were taking a stolen vehicle report for the same Tacoma involved in the crash.
Security camera images from the area showed a man near the truck before it was stolen, according to court documents.
Deputies said the clothing in the images matched what Alderman was wearing when they contacted him.
A gray sweatshirt was also found near the area where Alderman was detained, and deputies said it matched the sweatshirt seen in the security camera images.
Court documents say deputies checked Alderman’s driving status and learned his license was suspended or revoked in the second degree.
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