VIDEO: Report argues trucker was not at fault in crash with rookie Washington trooper, even though he was ticketed

A report shared by a Seattle news outlet looks at a crash that occurred last August on I-5 involving a newer Washington State Patrol trooper attempting a “rolling slowdown” maneuver and a semi truck driver.

The report was published by KING 5 on April 26, 2023.

The KING 5 Investigative team takes a look at a crash that occurred on northbound I-5 in Seattle in August 2022 involving Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Cadet Phirawat Apisit and semi truck driver Shawn Foutch.

The crash happened as the trooper was performing a “rolling slowdown” in order to try to help a fellow trooper get back on the interstate following a DUI traffic stop on the right shoulder.

In dash cam video included in the report, you can see Foutch move left to give police more room when Apisit veered into his lane of travel, resulting in a collision.

Though Foutch says he has not touched alcohol in 30 years due to diabetes, the report says that troopers at the scene indicated that he smelled of alcohol and subjected him to a field sobriety test, a breathalyzer, and a blood draw at a hospital, all of which came back negative.

The report also details the legal fallout from the incident.

Foutch was cited months after the crash for “negligent driving second degree.” Foutch hired a lawyer, who in turn contacted a WSP collision tech who was at the crash site. The crash tech claimed that Apisit did not properly conduct the rolling slowdown maneuver. Following this and many other legal maneuverings, the negligent driving citation was later dropped.

For the full story, check out the KING 5 report below or click here to read their article.