South Sound News

Semi driver accused of a Lakewood wreck that killed a motorcyclist appears in court

TACOMA, Wash. — A truck driver accused of causing a wreck that killed a motorcyclist in Lakewood appeared in Pierce County Superior Court on Thursday.

Anthony Frazee, 44, pleaded not guilty at arraignment to vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault for the Aug. 31, 2017 wreck.

Court Commissioner Sabrina Ahrens set bail at $50,000.

A bench warrant was issued for Frazee’s arrest last month, and he was booked into Pierce County Jail Wednesday afternoon.

According to charging papers:

Michael “Mike” Seese, 39 of Puyallup, died after he laid down his bike to try to avoid the wreck.

Frazee caused the crash, which involved his semi, five other vehicles and Seese’s motorcycle on state Route 512 near Steele Street, investigators say.

Frazee said he changed lanes and that traffic stopped in front of him. He tried to stop, his brakes locked up, and he hit a Mazda, which was then pushed into the other vehicles.

The woman in the Mazda suffered a broken arm, one of her children suffered a lacerated liver and bruised spleen and another child had a cut chin and other minor injuries.

Frazee told investigators he wasn’t on his phone or distracted in any way.

Dash camera footage from the semi showed Frazee crossing the fog line when he turned onto state Route 512 and two more times before the crash. He didn’t notice that traffic had stopped and shifted gears and accelerated “right up to the point of colliding” with the Mazda, the declaration for determination of probable cause says.

Seese’s family said he was on his way home from work to watch a preseason Seahawks game when the crash happened.

He was a driver for Tacoma’s Solid Waste Division and a devoted Seahawks fan.

“He loved his kids, he loved his family, he loved his Seahawks,” his wife, Trina Seese told The News Tribune.

He’s survived by his wife, 9-year-old son Lucas and 14-year-old daughter Zoe.

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