Man dies after running into I-5 traffic

PETER JENSEN

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FERNDALE - A Ferndale man died after running away from an officer and into traffic on Interstate 5 Friday, July 25.

A Whatcom County Sheriff's deputy had pulled over a car driven by Anthony M. Suter, 24, near Slater Road and was attempting to arrest him at about 10 p.m. That's when Suter ran across the northbound lanes and was struck by a 1993 Cadillac DeVille.

Suter, who suffered two broken legs and severe head injuries, was taken to St. Joseph Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver was uninjured, though his car sustained $2,000 worth of damage, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Suter was under the influence of drugs, said Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel, who is awaiting test results to determine which drugs Suter had taken.

The deputy who pulled Suter over had recognized him as having a warrant out for his arrest on a narcotics possession charge, Undersheriff Carey James said.

Neither the State Patrol nor the Sheriff's Office disclosed the incident during regular calls from The Bellingham Herald. The Herald learned about Suter's death from one of his classmates from Ferndale High School, where he graduated in 2002. Only when specifically asked about the incident on Tuesday, July 29, did the agencies provide the information.