An Everett woman who lost control of her vehicle on Interstate 5 near Winlock and Toledo on Wednesday, causing both her vehicle and another vehicle to roll, has been charged with vehicular assault for allegedly being under the influence at the time of the crash.
A Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper was dispatched to the crash between mileposts 63 and 64 on I-5 just after 7:35 p.m. on Oct. 19.
Raquel Gutierrez Castro, 29, was reportedly driving a silver Cadillac CTS at a high rate of speed on southbound I-5 and attempted to pass a black Ford F-150 on the right-hand side, according to WSP. Gutierrez Castro lost control of her vehicle, striking the Ford and causing both vehicles to spin out and roll, according to WSP. Debris from the Ford reportedly struck a red Subaru Outback, causing reportable damage.
The driver of the Ford, a 73-year-old Brush Prairie man, sustained a fractured spine as a result of the collision, according to documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court.
Gutierrez Castro and the driver of the Subaru were uninjured.
When the trooper arrived at the scene of the crash, aid crews were working to extract Gutierrez Castro from her vehicle, but she was reportedly “being combative and refused to exit the vehicle,” beginning to “throw debris at those around the vehicle” when the trooper stepped in to offer assistance.
Aid crews eventually “had to pull her out of the vehicle” and take her to a nearby ambulance, according to court documents.
The trooper observing Gutierrez Castro reportedly “noticed (her) actions were consistent with someone who is under the influence of a central nervous stimulant” and began to arrest her. While he was searching her, Gutierrez Castro allegedly spat in the trooper’s face, according to court documents.
Gutierrez Castro and the driver of the other vehicle were both transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. While at the hospital, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for a sample of Gutierrez Castro’s blood, which was sent to a lab for analysis.
Gutierrez Castro was booked into the Lewis County Jail just after 1:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20. She has since been charged with one count each of vehicular assault and third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer.
Gutierrez Castro reportedly refused to appear virtually at her preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday, prompting a judge to reschedule the hearing to Oct. 27 and to set her bail at $100,000.
