19th Legislative District Townhall—Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG News
April 7, 2026
Dr. Roger M. Gardner
April 7, 2026
The woman arrested after a long multi-county police chase and several-hour standoff on Interstate 5 in Lewis County last week has died while in custody.
The Daily Chronicle reports that 51-year-old Heidi Presson of Hoodsport died yesterday at the Lewis County Jail; her death came just hours before she was scheduled to appear in court on a slew of charges.
Her cause and manner of death remain under investigation.
Presson was arrested April 2nd after a pursuit that began in Mason County and continued through Thurston County before ending in Lewis County. Washington State Patrol troopers used spike strips to stop her vehicle on Interstate 5, and it became disabled after hitting a sign near Napavine at milepost 68.
Authorities say Presson then refused to exit the car, leading to a standoff that lasted several hours. She was eventually taken into custody and evaluated at a hospital before being booked into jail.
