Two men were killed in a single-vehicle accident on Sunday morning near Porter, while a third man was arrested.
Raymond J. Darling, 51, of Rochester, was taken into custody under suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing the truck he was driving in the area of South Bank Road and Barton Road, said Chief Criminal Deputy Jason Wecker of the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office.
“It appears that they drove straight off the road,” Wecker said in an interview. “There was a left hand turn and the vehicle continued straight, hitting a telephone pole and continuing into the brush.”
Darling called 911 at 10:17 a.m., while the other two men were unconscious, one of them not breathing, Wecker said.
East Grays Harbor Fire and Rescue and the sheriff’s office responded to the call, arriving on-scene in minutes, Wecker said. Life Flight Network was alerted but ultimately cancelled, Wecker said.
The two passengers died as a result of the crash, Wecker said. They have been identified as 54-year-old Ronald J.W. Olin of Olympia, and 53-year-old Bret W. Skinner of Tacoma, said Grays Harbor County Coroner George Kelley in an email. The investigation into their deaths are ongoing, Kelley said, with autopsies scheduled.
The Washington State Patrol arrested Darling as they investigated DUI aspects of the crash, said Trooper Katherine Weatherwax. Darling is currently in custody on a charge of vehicular homicide.
Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or michael.lockett@thedailyworld.com.