22-year-old Whatcom man killed in suspected DUI vehicular homicide Thursday on I-5
A Marysville man has been arrested on suspicion of DUI vehicular homicide after the truck he was driving reportedly struck a disabled vehicle and killed a Whatcom County man Thursday evening on Interstate 5 south of Mount Vernon.
Deming’s Jordan A. Blankenship, 22, died in the incident that occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 near the Conway exit in Skagit County, according to the Washington State Patrol release on the incident.
The State Patrol booked Terry R. Macewen, 37, into Skagit County Jail on suspicion of DUI vehicular homicide, Trooper Hearth Axtman told The Bellingham Herald Friday.
Blankenship’s white 2018 Ford F150, which was towing a trailer, became disabled in the center lane of southbound traffic near milepost 221, and Blankenship got out of his vehicle and was standing between it and the trailer, according to the report.
A white 2000 Ford F150, driven by Macewen, struck the trailer, which in turn struck Blankenship, the report states.
“We had received the call about the disabled vehicle and had a trooper en route,” Axtman told The Herald. “That is what makes it so heart-breaking — we were on our way to assist him (Blankenship) and help keep him safe.”
When a vehicle becomes stranded in the lanes of travel, Axtman said the State Patrol neither encourages drivers to stay in their vehicle nor get out and try to make it across lanes at travel to safety on the shoulder.
“You’re really in a no-win situation there,” Axtman said. “Getting stranded on the shoulder is stressful enough with traffic whizzing by. I can’t speak to Mr. Blankenship’s mindset at the time. I mean his car had just broken down in the center lane, and he had to decide for himself what was safest.”
Unfortunately, neither option may have been safe for Blankenship in this instance.
Macewen was in the right lane and coming up behind a semi, and switched lanes into the center lane to pass the semi shortly before his truck collided with Blankenship’s trailer, Axtman said, adding that she did not know whether the hazard lights had been activated on Blankenship’s trailer.
Blankenship was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report.
Macewen was taken to Skagit Valley Hospital with injuries, and the State Patrol received a warrant for a blood draw, which was performed and showed Macewen was driving under the influence of alcohol, Axtman said. Macewen refused treatment at the hospital and was arrested by troopers.
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 7:22 AM.
