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Two men found dead at I-5 rest areas in Thurston County hours apart

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(Evgen - stock.adobe.com)

Two men were found dead at separate Interstate 5 rest areas in Thurston County on Saturday, and both deaths appear to have been caused by medical emergencies, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The first call came in around 1:30 p.m. at the I-5 southbound Maytown rest area.

Troopers were sent to check on a vehicle that had been parked at the rest area for about a week before it was reported, Trooper Kameron Watts said Monday.

Inside the vehicle, troopers found Damon Claiborne, 54.

Claiborne was a U.S. military veteran, authorities said.

At about 5 p.m., troopers were sent to the I-5 northbound Scatter Creek rest area.

There, Luis Gutierrez-Ramirez, 63, of Centralia was found dead.

Watts said Gutierrez-Ramirez was discovered by a co-worker, who contacted their employer.

The employer then called 911 to report the situation.

Investigators believe both men suffered medical emergencies.

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