The Mason County Sheriff’s Office reports a teenager is dead and several others are injured after a high-speed crash in Mason County. The driver was arrested and, according to deputies, will face multiple charges.
The crash happened on SE Arcadia Road early Tuesday morning. According to investigators, five teens were in the car.
One of them is dead, and another is accused of killing him.
Video obtained by KIRO 7 shows the aftermath of the crash. The car, torn to pieces, ended up in a ditch. The footage shows firefighters working to get the teens out as smoke fills the area.
“It was really bad,” Olivia Malpica, who witnessed the crash, said. “The car was split in half, smoke coming out of it.”
Malpica said she was driving home around 1 a.m. when the teens’ car swerved around her at a high speed. Then, the unthinkable happened.
“I saw a big old buck pop out ahead of us, 1,000 feet up the road,” she said. “The car just wasn’t attempting to brake or slow down. They just rolled and the car was just gone.”
She pulled up to the crash and called 911.
“Glass all over the road. Deer all over the road,” she said. “You hear screaming. A young girl was screaming. It was horrific. It was really horrific.”
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office said speeding and alcohol played a role. They arrested the driver, an 18-year-old, on one count of vehicular homicide and three counts of vehicular assault.
Investigators identified the 16-year-old who was killed as Liam Swanson.
In the tight-knit community of Shelton, many have been touched by the loss. All day Thursday, groups of people came by to place flowers and pay their respects at a large memorial at the crash site.
“It’s just really unfortunate all around for everyone involved,” Malpica said. “Slow down, pay attention to your surroundings and you could save a life.”
Prosecutors told KIRO 7 the driver has not yet been charged because he is still in the hospital.