WSP trooper to be charged after fatal off-duty crash while intoxicated

A Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper will face charges after turning in front of a motorcycle and crashing into it while driving her personal car off-duty on March 1. The crash resulted in the death of the 20-year-old rider.

According to court documents, WSP Trooper Sarah Clasen was drunk hours after the crash.

The crash happened along State Route 240 (SR 240) and Village Parkway in Richland at approximately 7:30 p.m. The motorcyclist, 20-year-old Jhoser Sanchez, died at Kadlec Regional Medical Center after Clasen collided into him in her Kia Telluride. He’d only ridden the motorcycle about three or four times before, police reported.

She was driving at approximately 20 mph when the accident occurred.

Spokane County Chief Criminal Deputy Preston McCollum told KEPR News that charges are coming, but an exact date has yet to be determined as the prosecuting office is still actively reviewing the file.

She is currently on administrative leave from WSP.

Clasen’s alcohol level, attempts to leave crime scene

The WSP Seattle Toxicology Laboratory found that Clasen’s blood-alcohol level was 0.17% nearly six hours after the crash—more than double the legal limit of 0.08%.

Clasen also tried to leave the crime scene, but couldn’t, according to the documents obtained by The Tri-City Herald. One witness reported she attempted to drive away before deciding against it, while another witness described Clasen as more like a nervous teenager than a seasoned police officer. According to witness testimony, it wasn’t until other people approached her SUV that she began helping at the scene.

She then assisted the team of firefighters who arrived at the scene in their attempts to save Sanchez’s life.

Both Spokane County prosecutors and her defense team are conducting their own investigations, as of this reporting.

The bar Clasen was served at

Clasen, a 13-year veteran with WSP, was at Moon Palace, a Chinese restaurant with “stiff drinks” that she and her husband, Trent, regularly frequent, according to court documents obtained by The Tri-City Herald.

Seen through security cameras, prosecutors determined she and her husband were there for approximately four hours, leaving the establishment after ordering a pizza from Domino’s just 10 minutes before the fatal crash occurred.

“Up to this point, I was unaware that the Moon Palace was currently a functional business even though I was aware the building was at this location,” Richland Office Steve Heid wrote in his report, obtained by The Tri-City Herald. “The years that I’ve worked for the city of Richland, I had presumed that it was an abandoned building that used to function as a Chinese restaurant.”

There is no record of a bill or a bar tab from the Clasens that day. Police are investigating whether Moon Palace destroyed any evidence of the two of them being there.

Motorcyclist wasn’t speeding when hit and killed

Clasen told officers that Sanchez was driving fast when he was struck, but police reports found he was driving less than the speed limit when the accident occurred.

According to documents obtained by The Tri-City Herald, Sanchez was going two miles below the posted speed limit of 55 mph.

Clasen agreed to provide a written statement detailing what happened, but declined to undergo a field sobriety or a breath test.

Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Follow James Lynch on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

Follow @James_KIRORadio