The 17-year-old Ferndale driver involved in a rollover accident Saturday, March 4 has been arrested.
The driver, charged with driving under the influence and vehicular assault, and four passengers were injured in the incident, which occurred just south of Bellingham.
The driver was booked into Whatcom County juvenile detention early Sunday morning, said Trooper Kelsey Harding, a public information officer for Washington State Patrol.
At the time of the accident, the driver was speeding near milepost 249 around 10:45 p.m. Saturday, when the vehicle veered off the roadway and rolled multiple times, landing on its top, according to WSP.
Drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, according to the WSP incident report. The driver was charged with driving under the influence and vehicular assault – meaning she drove in a reckless manner and caused “substantial bodily harm to another,” per RCW 46.61.522, Harding said. At least one of the passengers sustained a broken bone.
The driver and four passengers, ranging in age from 15–18, were all transported to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, the report stated. The passengers included a male and female from Ferndale, a female from Lynden, and a female from Lake Forest Park.
The driver was medically cleared before her arrest, Harding said.
