Washington police officer arrested for driving under the influence and killing a motorcyclist

Sarah Lee Clasen was arrested after killing a motorcyclist in Richland, Washington (USA). The officer was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the crash.

Washington police officer Sarah Lee Clasen was arrested after killing motorcyclist Jhoser Sanchez while allegedly driving drunk on Saturday (1). The collision occurred on a road in Richland.

According to the head of investigations at the Richland Police Department, Damon Jansen, Clasen attempted to make a turn in front of the motorcycle at an intersection, causing Sanchez to crash into the officer’s vehicle.

The rider was taken to the hospital after police performed “life-saving measures,” but he was later declared dead at the medical center.

The investigation into the case revealed that Clasen was an off-duty officer from the department, and the case was transferred to the Richland Police.

Commander Jansen noted that the officer was speaking in a slurred manner. Investigators also reported that she provided information that did not align with what was observed by the police.

Clasen told investigators that she was on her way home after picking up a pizza when she “started to swerve” and collided with Sanchez, according to a statement obtained by the Tri-City Herald.

The officer was released from jail on Monday afternoon (3). Last year, Clasen gave an interview to NBC Right Now about the importance of paying attention while driving.

Photos: Facebook Richland WA Police Department
R.N. Stidd. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.