One critical, one arrested after New Year’s crash near Deming

A husband and wife remained hospitalized Monday, Jan. 4, after a head-on crash east of Deming on New Year’s Day.

The driver of the other vehicle, Jake Adam Dubbs, 32, of Deming, has been booked into jail to face charges of vehicular assault.

State troopers are investigating whether Dubbs was under the influence of drugs or alcohol around 1 p.m. Jan. 1 when his eastbound 1997 Ford pickup crossed the center line of Mount Baker Highway just west of Highway 9.

The black Ford F-150 crashed into a westbound white ’04 Honda CR-V occupied by Marty and Laura Thawsh of Mount Vernon, according to the Washington State Patrol. Mr. Thawsh tried to swerve the Honda off the road to avoid a crash, troopers said, but a guardrail blocked his path.

The vehicles collided head on.

Marty Thawsh, 68, suffered life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to St. Joseph hospital, stabilized, and transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He remained in critical condition in intensive care Monday, said Susan Gregg, a Harborview spokeswoman.

His wife, Laura Thawsh, 63, had been sitting in a passenger seat. She suffered broken bones and remained at St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham on Monday.

One of the Thawshes’ dogs, a female Chihuahua mix, died in the crash, according to the Whatcom Humane Society. A second dog, a male terrier mix, was treated for injuries at a Bellingham animal hospital, then released to a family member.

Dubbs suffered relatively minor injuries. A trooper noted odors of alcohol and marijuana on him and Dubbs admitted to recent alcohol use, said Trooper Mark Francis. The exact timeframe of when he consumed alcohol remains unclear, however, Francis added. State troopers obtained a warrant to draw Dubbs’ blood to be tested for drugs and alcohol.

Dubbs was booked into Whatcom County Jail around 8 p.m.

Jail records show his bail has been set at $100,000. Formal criminal charges hadn’t been filed as of Monday afternoon.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 4:18 PM with the headline "One critical, one arrested after New Year’s crash near Deming."