PACIFIC COUNTY, Wash. — Hours after voters reelected Pacific County commissioner Lisa Olsen, she was sitting in the back of a Washington State Patrol car facing a drunk driving charge.
Olsen, a Republican who ran unopposed, pleaded not guilty to one count of driving under the influence Tuesday.
Olsen had no comment when reached at the county’s courthouse annex Wednesday afternoon.
Her attorney, Nathan Needham, said Olsen was embarrassed by the incident and was taking the charge “extremely seriously.”
According to investigators, Olsen crashed her Toyota Camry into a ditch about 11 miles east of Raymond.
A trooper said Olsen claimed to be driving home from Raymond to South Bend, which should have taken her west from Raymond.
The trooper said he noticed damage on the driver’s side of Olsen’s car, suggesting she had struck something. Olsen told the trooper she did not know what caused the damage.
According to the arrest report, when a volunteer firefighter rescued Olsen from her car, she threw up in the firefighter’s truck.
When the trooper was conducting sobriety tests, he said Olsen smelled of alcohol, slurred her speech, and had trouble standing.
A preliminary breath test revealed a .189 level, more than twice the legal limit, said investigators.
More than 90% of Pacific County voters supported Olsen in the election.