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Driver in deadly wrong-way crash on SR 520 had empty whiskey bottle in car

SEATTLE — A woman was killed Thursday morning in a head-on collision on State Route 520.

The collision happened around 5:30 a.m. on the eastbound lanes of SR 520 at Montlake Boulevard.

According to the Washington State Patrol, a green 1996 Ford Explorer was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of SR 520. The driver has been identified as Michael Anthony Robertson, 25, of Tacoma.

Robertson's vehicle slammed into a gold 2003 Mazda Protege head-on.

Crews sent to the scene had to cut the roof off the Protege to get to a woman who was trapped inside.

The woman, Morgan Fick Williams, 58, of Seattle, was taken to Harborview Medical Center. Firefighters said she was conscious after the crash. She later died at the hospital.

"Just looking at the vehicles, she sustained some very, very severe trauma,” said Sgt. John Sager of the Washington State Patrol.

Williams, who was on her way to work at the time of the crash, was an employee of Eddie Bauer. The company released the following statement on Thursday afternoon: "We are saddened to learn the news of Morgan Williams’ death this morning. She has been with Eddie Bauer for 32 years, and will be greatly missed by her friends and colleagues. We are working to support her family and friends as they receive this difficult news, and send them our deepest sympathies."

Williams was an accounting graduate of the University of Washington.

“We’re heartbroken,” said her brother, Matt Fick. “She touched a lot of lives.”

"It's hard to describe what an incredible woman Morgan was," said Williams' sister-in-law, Jan Fick. “She had so many friends and was so connected to so many people that this is going to touch people far and wide. Morgan kept in touch with childhood friends, college friends. She just had a way of knowing what was going on with everyone.”

“One of the things that was incredible about Morgan is, if you told her something once, she never forgot it,” Jan Fick added. “She just really loved the connection of family. She was like no one other. She was just an amazing woman.”

Jan Fick also said that Williams normally took the bus to work. She drove to work on Thursday because she was going to Bellingham after work to visit her friend, who is in hospice care.

Robertson, the driver who crashed into Williams's car, was also taken to Harborview Medical Center. He was treated for injuries on his leg.

Robertson was arrested on suspicion of DUI and for investigation of vehicular homicide.

Police documents released on Friday indicated that Robertson had an nearly-empty bottle of whiskey on the front seat of his SUV at the time of the crash and that he admitted he'd been drinking and felt impaired. He also said that he might have been drugged.

The documents said Robertson was driving to Bellevue on SR 520. He then did a U-turn and headed toward Seattle.

Prosecutors said he was going highway speeds when he slammed into Williams’ car.

This is not the first DUI crash that Robertson is alleged to have caused.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Frank Field talked to a woman he rear-ended on an on-ramp in Tacoma in December.

At that time, troopers said Robertson was so drunk he nearly fell over during a field sobriety test. The woman he hit agreed.

"He didn't even recognize what happened,” Licia Brammer said.” I got out to stay in front of the car and I had to move because I thought, ‘Wait a second, this guy is hammered and he's probably going to hit me.’"

Robertson's Facebook page says he works in sales for Comcast and as a dancer for a Tacoma company that puts on drag queen shows.

He is being held on $1 million bail and will be arraigned on April 18.

Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the Washington State Patrol.