Formal charges not filed yet against off-duty WSP trooper involved in fatal crash

BENTON COUNTY, Washington – The Benton County Clerk’s Office reports no hearing is scheduled today (Wednesday) for Washington State Patrol Trooper Sarah Lee Clasen, 35, of Richland. Chief Deputy Clerk Elaine Osborne states formal charges have not been filed yet.

Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Haskell, the special prosecutor assigned to Clasen’s case, told Elkhorn Media Group Tuesday that the investigation is still active and on-going.

Clasen was arrested March 1 after being involved in a collision after turning in front of a motorcycle on State Route 240 and Village Parkway in Richland. After the collision, Clasen exited her personal KIA Telluride SUV, checked on Sanchez and attempted lifesaving measures before the first responders arrived.

The motorcycle operator, Jhoser Sanchez, 20, of Richland, died at a local hospital.

Clasen, who was off duty, declined to complete a standardized field sobriety test and preliminary breath tests, according to the Richland Police Department. RPD officers determined Clasen was impaired at the time of the crash and booked her into the Benton County Jail for vehicular homicide. Investigators obtained a court-authorized search warrant for a blood sample, which was collected and is pending analysis.

Clasen, a 14-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol, has been placed on paid administrative leave. She was released on her own recognizance following her first court appearance on March 3. As part of her release, she is required to wear a blood alcohol monitor bracelet and install an ignition interlock device on her car.

Photos via Richland Police Department of Sarah Clasen being questioned following accident (top); Clasen’s SUV and Sanchez’s motorcycle following crash (below).

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