It was the expired car tabs on a black 1996 Toyota Camry that tipped off police to pull over Jamesha Solana Berryman, 31, on April 30, officials report.
Instead of remaining stopped, police say the Longview resident fled Cowlitz County deputies, crashing into a truck around 8:35 p.m. at the corner of Kelso’s Pacific Avenue and Columbia Street, killing her and her two passengers and injuring the truck’s occupants.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Dakota Russell told The Daily News detectives expect to wrap up their investigation into the crash within the next few weeks, though the suspect, Berryman, who initiated the crash is dead.
The sheriff’s office says deputies did not pursue the fleeing car.
The accident comes after state lawmakers approved fewer restrictions for law enforcement agents to pursue suspect’s vehicles, though the accident took place a little over a month before the new law took effect.
Cowlitz County Chief Criminal Deputy Troy Brightbill said when a deputy discovered the expired tabs, he figured out the registered owners of the Camry also had warrants out for their arrests, as well as suspended driver’s licenses.
But neither Berryman nor her passengers were the registered owners, he added.
Though Berryman didn't own the car, court records still show a warrant was filed in January for her after she didn’t complete substance abuse treatment, required after her November conviction of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and meth.
When briefly pulled over, Brightbill said the Camry’s driver gave a false name, then quickly sped away, almost hitting a deputy parked on the southbound shoulder of Pacific Avenue before crossing into oncoming lanes.
Deputies tried to use spike strips to stop the Camry, but couldn’t reach the vehicle before it lost control and collided with the truck, states a report by Kelso police, who were also at the scene.
Brightbill said dash camera footage confirms deputies lost sight of the vehicle before the collision.
Upon reaching the 600 block of North Pacific Avenue where the road has a slight curve, the Camry drove through a red light, crossed the yellow center line and entered the oncoming lane striking the blue 2000 Ford Ranger head on, the reports continue.
The collision report states the hood of the Camry hit the driver’s side door and front panel of the Ford Ranger. The report estimates the Camry’s speed as 100 mph.
Berryman died at the scene, while her passengers Marcel Delon Goodman, 47, of Longview, and Jeremy James Pritchard, 32, of Kelso, were both conscious right after the crash.
Kelso Sgt. Mark Berglund’s May 1 report says Pritchard initially gave a false name to the police at the scene, identifying himself as John Green, but later provided his real identity to medical personnel.
The two passengers were transported by ambulance to the hospital but died during surgery, the reports state.
Kelso Police Officer Justin Krebs writes in a report that he tried to open the Camry’s back passenger door with a pry bar, but couldn’t.
Both occupants of the Ranger were also injured.
Benjermen R. Day, 41, of Kelso, was driving his friend Joshua David Cissell, 35, of Kelso, home in the truck. Day said he is now bedridden, as he cannot yet put weight on his legs.
He has a broken hip socket, crushed foot, broken leg, as well as fractures in his other leg. He said he has undergone six surgeries, but may need more.
Cissell suffered severe facial gashes from the crash and was the only one who didn’t need to be airlifted from the scene.
Day said law enforcement haven’t interviewed him about the crash.
Russell, with Washington State Patrol, said troopers are working with collision technical specialists who conduct investigations that include painting the scene, and reviewing photographs and drone footage.
Kelso Police Department Chief Darr Kirk informed Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste of the crash on May 1, stating, at the time, the deputies’ involvement in the crash was unclear.
However, Kirk adds in the letter that the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office report is labeled as a pursuit, saying “the stop, attempted vehicle intervention, and the report title leads me to believe that they are substantially involved.”
Kirk declined to comment about the crash to The Daily News.
The Washington state Legislature passed a new law earlier this year that provides more latitude for law enforcement agents to pursue suspects in vehicles.
Under the old law, police needed probable cause to start a car chase. Now, the new law, which went into effect on June 6, permits officers to initiate a pursuit if they have reasonable suspicion that the suspect committed a specific crime.
Another fatal crash occurred in Longview on May 17 after Longview police say a driver fled from an attempted traffic stop and rolled over on Ocean Beach Highway near Stuffy's II, killing the driver. The name of the person and reason for the stop have not yet been released.
