Special prosecutor in case involving off-duty WSP trooper to retire

By Dan Thesman on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

SPOKANE COUNTY – The special prosecutor assigned to off-duty Washington State Patrol Trooper Sarah Lee Clasen’s case has announced he’s retiring. Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Haskell was first elected in November 2014 and took office on January 1, 2015.

Despite Haskell announcing he will step down effective July 18, Clasen’s case remains active under his team’s supervision. Haskell said the case is almost finished and adds the public should expect more information sooner than later.

Clasen was arrested on March 1 after a crash on State Route 240 in Richland with motorcyclist Jhoser Emmanuel Vega-Sanchez, who died later.

Although Clasen declined field sobriety and preliminary breath tests, the Richland Police Department declared she was impaired at the time of the crash. Clasen was booked for vehicular homicide and released after her first court appearance. A toxicology report showed her blood alcohol content was 0.17 – more than twice the legal limit.

Since the accident, Vega-Sanchez’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Clasen.

File photos:

(Top) Prosecuting Attorney Larry Haskell

(Below) Sarah Clasen