SEATTLE — An 8-year-old was killed in a suspected DUI crash involving a car and a semi-truck Thursday night in Grays Harbor County.
According to the Washington State Patrol (WSP), a 31-year-old woman was driving a 2002 Mazda Protege westbound on State Route 12 at Pearson Road near Oakville around 8:30 p.m. Thursday when the vehicle crossed the center line and struck a semi-truck.
Both vehicles came to a rest on the eastbound shoulder of SR 12. The Mazda flipped over and stopped "in a deep ditch full of water," WSP said.
The 8-year-old, who was restrained in a child seat inside the Mazda, died on the scene.
The 31-year-old driver was transported to Harborview Medical Center.
State Patrol said they are investigating the driver for DUI after she crossed the center line; charges are pending. The driver's friend, Michele Christin, is asking the community to wait for evidence before drawing conclusions after talking to her friend following the crash.
"She was calling to let me know she wouldn't be into work a few weeks and had been in an accident," Christin said. "She's a really good mom. She doesn't drink and drive."
Christin said her friend was not a heavy drinker and had spent the day shopping with her mom.
"She lost control of her car. She hydroplaned," Christin said. "Her car isn't the greatest car, she's a single mom trying to support two kids on her own."
The driver told Christin that she lost control of the car and it crossed over the line.
"And the next thing she knew she was being hit and the car was hit and they rolled into water and that was....the end of the story," said Christin.
On the day following the crash, items could be seen in the tree branches and ditch where the Mazda fell following the crash. Christin says some of those were work materials for the woman's job at a cleaning service.
"She really put her kids first," Christin said. "She worked multiple jobs to be able to support her kids."
Family and friends are mourning the loss of the 8-year-old who was killed. Christin saidher friend is also still in the hospital, set for surgery.
The driver of the semi-truck, a 55-year-old male, was taken to St. Peter's Hospital in Olympia. His condition is unknown.
"It's a very difficult time, whenever there are children involved, to have this kind of tragedy," said Public Information Officer Sgt. Darren Wright. "Especially with the holidays coming around, people in Oakville are going to need support and hopefully they can find that support in their community."
SR 12 near Pearson Road reopened Friday around 8 a.m. after being closed for nearly 12 hours.
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