A Snohomish County jury found a Lynnwood man guilty in a high-speed crash on Interstate 5 that killed Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd.
The jury found Raul Benitez Santana, 34, guilty of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault for Gadd's death, with two special verdicts returned that Benitez Santana was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time he crashed into the trooper's patrol car, which was parked on the shoulder of southbound I-5. Another person in a third vehicle was seriously injured.
Gadd, who was with the State Patrol for 2 1/2 years and worked out of Marysville, was the 33rd trooper killed in the line of duty in the agency's history. Those close to him described him as compassionate, goofy and committed to keeping the roads clear of drunken drivers.
"While the verdict does not take away the pain of losing Chris, it does offer a modicum of relief for those who served with and loved this fine young man. Our thoughts and enduring support remain with his widow and young daughter as well as his mother, father, and sister," State Patrol Chief John Batiste said in a statement released after the verdict. "We will never forget Trooper Chris Gadd."
Evidence presented at trial stated Benitez Santana was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana and was going over 100 mph at the time of the crash. Benitez Santana is in the U.S. illegally.
Benitez Santana pleaded not guilty. His attorneys attempted to get the trial dismissed last month because prosecutors communicated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in violation of state law.
"The argument is that given the circumstances of the time of night, the darkness, the fact that the vehicle was unseen, and the fact that the road was wet all indicates that this is potentially human error for a car accident that is a tragedy but does not meet the probable cause standard," Benitez Santana's attorney said during trial. Gadd was parked on the shoulder with his lights off, presumably performing speed enforcement, an affidavit said.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Benitez Santana's perception was severely compromised so that he thought the shoulder lane of the freeway, where Gadd was parked, was a lane of travel. One witness wrote that Benitez Santana's car passed at a very high rate of speed without headlights on. It was around 3 a.m.
Gadd is survived by a wife and young daughter.
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