Two DUI Crashes on Spirit Lake Highway, One With Fatality—Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG News

There were two separate DUI crashes on Friday evening in the same spot on Spirit Lake Highway, one of which resulted in a fatality.

The Washington State Patrol reports that the initial crash occurred around 9:05 p.m. at milepost 3 of the highway near Reynolds Road. 21-year-old Dylon Paulson of Silver Lake had been driving a 2011 Chevy Silverado eastbound when his truck left the roadway to the right, rolled, and struck a utility pole.

Paulson was declared dead at the scene; he had not been wearing a seatbelt. His two passengers were both 19-year-old females from Castle Rock. One of them had not been wearing a seatbelt, but neither was injured. The Washington State Patrol’s Office says that Paulson had been going too fast for conditions and that drugs or alcohol were involved.

The next crash occurred as authorities were still on the scene near Reynolds Road. Michael Sturgill of Castle Rock was driving

eastbound around 1:55 a.m. on Saturday in a 2007 Dodge Ram truck. The Washington State Patrol says that three emergency vehicles were parked and there was a pedestrian, all providing traffic control. Sturgill struck the vehicles and hit the pedestrian.

The pedestrian, 35-year-old Justine Enriquez of Kelso, was taken by ambulance to the hospital. There were two people in the parked vehicles; they were not injured.

In a statement posted online Saturday evening, Cowlitz County Coroner Dana Tucker said that Enriquez was one of their employees. She said Enriquez underwent surgery for her injuries and is stable and doing well, but has a long road to recovery.

Sturgill was arrested at the scene and has been charged with DUI, vehicular assault, and reckless endangerment. He had been wearing a seatbelt.