An Elma driver is accused of causing a three-vehicle crash while under the influence that led to the death of a 46-year-old man.
Pierce County prosecutors charged Matthew Geiger, 37, with vehicular homicide for the June 5 crash on State Route 410 at State Route 167 near Sumner. Jesse Schweickert, a Buckley man, died as a result, court documents show.
The crash happened just before 4:20 a.m., a previous News Tribune story reported. Charging documents show that a Washington State Patrol trooper was dispatched to the scene where a Chevrolet Blazer SUV was on its side a white Ford was nearby. The third vehicle, a Honda Pilot, was partially in the bushes.
The driver of the Ford told the trooper she had been driving westbound on State Route 410 and a vehicle driving towards her down the embankment. She saw two vehicles in front of her hit each other, and she had no time to stop, prosecutors wrote.
A man, later identified as Geiger, was walking around the scene with an unfastened robe on. He was dazed and confused, prosecutors wrote. The trooper reported Geiger's speech was slurred. Geiger said he did not know what happened and identified the Chevrolet as his vehicle.
The trooper found Schweickert slumped over to the rear of his Honda where a Port of Seattle police officer was performing CPR. There was severe damage to the vehicle. Schweickert was pronounced deceased at the scene, prosecutors wrote.
Investigators learned that Geiger was driving north on state Route 167 to eastbound state Route 410 when his car went off the roadway and into the median. Geiger allegedly struck Schweickert's Honda, which was traveling west on state Route 410. The Honda was taking the southbound state Route 167 exit when Geiger's vehicle crashed into it, documents show.
The woman's Ford struck Geiger's vehicle after the initial crash, causing it to roll. There was no impact between the two vehicles, prosecutors wrote.
Geiger was unable to maintain a consistent story about where he was coming from or where he was going, prosecutors wrote in charging documents. Geiger allegedly had bloodshot and watery eyes. He denied using medications, drinking alcohol or using drugs, prosecutors wrote. Geiger provided Preliminary Breath Test sample of a 0.157. The legal limit in Washington is .08.
Geiger was arrested and taken to a local hospital for his injuries.
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