A 58-year-old man who suffered a medical emergency and died after an apparent road-rage incident on Saturday has been identified, according to the Thurston County Coroner.
Although David Hirz of Olympia was identified, Coroner Gary Warnock said his office has yet to determine cause and manner of death.
Just before 7 p.m. Saturday, Hirz, who was driving a red truck carrying three of his children, pulled over in the 3900 block of Sleater Kinney Road Northeast with another truck driver who allegedly had rear-ended Hirz’s truck multiple times as they had traveled on Johnson Point Road, The Olympian reported.
Shortly thereafter, Hirz suffered a medical emergency and collapsed. Area firefighters attempted to revive the man but he died at the scene.
Meanwhile, the man accused of rear-ending him had left the scene, but ultimately was detained by Lacey police and taken into custody by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
That man, Robert Barry Leland, 54, appeared in Thurston County Superior Court on Monday.
A judge found probable cause for the following alleged crimes: first-degree manslaughter (reckless), three counts of second-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment and a count each of driving under the influence, hit-and-run attended vehicle and reckless driving.
The judge set bail at $500,000.
Bail set at $500,000 for man arrested after road-rage incident led to other driver’s death
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