Suspect in fatal I-5 crash merged onto shoulder before slamming into trooper, docs say

Man accused of killing trooper in crash appears in court

Investigators say Benitez Santana crashed his car into 27-year-old Trooper Christopher Gadd and killed him. The incident happened early Saturday morning.

MARYSVILLE, Wash. - The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office released its probable cause statement in the I-5 crash that killed a Washington State Patrol trooper near Marysville on Saturday.

An investigator with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said when he arrived on the scene, he noticed three heavily damaged vehicles, which included a Washington State Patrol Ford Explorer SUV, a black GMC Yukon XL, and a white Ford Transit van.

The Yukon, which was driven by Raul Benitez-Santana, had significant damage to its front end, consistent with the collision into the rear of Trooper Chris Gadd's patrol vehicle.

The investigator noted tire prints on the right shoulder of southbound I-5, likely where Trooper Gadd's vehicle was parked at the time of the collision.

Another large tire scrub was found near the area of impact, which was slightly angled toward the southbound lanes. It's believed this mark was created by the Yukon after the impact as it came to rest.

Several additional tire marks, gouges, and disruptions in the dirt were also found on the shoulder, which is likely where the Ford Transit van impacted the Yukon.

After the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office transported Trooper Gadd's body, all other vehicles were taken to secure evidence facilities for additional investigation.

Investigators say a dashcam video recorded by a semi truck traveling on southbound I-5 showed Benitez-Santana's vehicle going over the speed limit and merging into the right lanes of the freeway.

Investigators say Benitez-Santana continued drifting into the far-right lane, beginning to enter the right shoulder. The vehicle then uses its turn signal and merges completely onto the shoulder of the road, where Trooper Gadd's vehicle was parked.

Gadd's vehicle can then be seen on the dashcam video, where Bentiez-Santana begins braking for about one second before he slams into the back of the SUV, according to the probable cause statement.

The video then shows Trooper Gadd's vehicle violently rotating off the roadway into the ditch and Benitez-Santana's vehicle sliding across the three southbound lanes, coming to rest of the far-left southbound lane.

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The video shows the painted lane lines are clearly visible, and that there was no situation for Benitez-Santana to be merging onto the right shoulder.

In a later interview at the hospital with a Snohomish County deputy, Benitez-Santana said he believed he was driving around 80 mph, and later admitted to drinking two Coors Light beers and smoking a joint prior to the crash, according to court documents.

Benitez-Santana also said he was driving to his home in Everett after visiting a friend in Mount Vernon.

He has several prior violations for speeding, including in 2021, 2020, and 2011.

After reviewing the evidence, investigators believe there is probable cause to charge Raul Benitez-Santana with vehicular homicide.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office is still analyzing this case further.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Seattle Enforcement and Removal Operations placed an immigration detainer with the Snohomish County Jail for Benitez Santana, who is a citizen of Mexico.

ICE issues immigration detainers against non-citizens who have been arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody by state or local law enforcement. It's a request from ICE to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable non-citizen is released.

According to an ICE official, Benitez Santana entered the U.S. without admission or parole by an immigration officer. He was encountered by ERO Seattle in 2013 at the South Correctional Entity in Burien, following his arrest for failure to appear for driving with a suspended license.