State Patrol releases identity of Blaine man killed in wrong-way I5 crash Wednesday
The Washington State Patrol released the identity of the Blaine man who died in a head-on crash Wednesday evening on Interstate 5 just north of Slater Road in Whatcom County.
David B. Johnson, 73, was the passenger in a silver 1998 Lexus GS that was headed southbound in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 261 and died at the scene, according to the State Patrol release on the incident.
The car was driven by 75-year-old Gary V. Johnson of Graham, the release said. He was transported to St. Joseph hospital, where he was in satisfactory condition on Thursday, St. Joseph hospital spokesperson Bev Mayhew told The Bellingham Herald.
Trooper Heather Axtman told The Herald that Johnson has been arrested on suspicion of DUI-vehicular homicide.
Ilia M. Castrejon, an 18-year-old old from Ferndale, was the driver of the red 2001 Toyota Camry that was struck by the Lexus. Castrejon was taken to the hospital, where she was treated and released, Mayhew said.
State Patrol received several calls shortly after 8:20 p.m. about a wrong-way driver going southbound in the northbound lanes of I-5 in a silver Lexus, Axtman told The Bellingham Herald.
Around 8:25 p.m., State Patrol began receiving calls about a head-on collision, she said. The Lexus hit a Toyota Camry, which was driving northbound on I-5 north, Axtman said.
The Lexus drove about a mile and a half before hitting the Camry, Axtman said. Drugs or alcohol were involved, Axtman said.
Axtman said northbound I-5 was fully blocked, and I-5 southbound was partially blocked due to the responding agencies. Northbound lanes did not open until 11:35 p.m., according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
All three people were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, according to the release, and the crash remains under investigation.
The fatality is the third on Whatcom County roadways in 2020, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation Crash Portal and the first this year along Interstate 5 in the county. The county saw 17 fatalities in 16 crashes in 2019, including five crashes along the interstate.
It is the first alcohol-related fatality in Whatcom this year, though there have been seven crashes and eight people who suffered suspected serious injuries through the first half of this year, WSDOT reports. That compares to three fatal crashes and nine suspected serious injury crashes from 2019.
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 7:47 AM.
