The Washington State Patrol Chief John R Batiste says their agency lost 127 employees across the state after the State-wide mandate to be vaccinated took effect, the deadline being October 18th. 

You could hear final sign-offs from State Toppers across the state including Grays Harbor.  GHS Admins could hear the dispatchers tears and sadness as each trooper signed off. 

Dispatchers and staff from not only WSP but other agencies in shock in a time when filling law enforcement positions is already critical. 

Updated Story with WSP Official Information 

No official details have been released by the Washington State Patrol while they are still on the scene of a vehicle vs pedestrian fatality collision that occurred around 1246 AM outside of Montesano on State Route 12 MP 15 eastbound.  

Thanks to tips and questions to the page we went through our recorded scanner audio from our online feeds and found that at 1246 Saturday morning a vehicle struck a pedestrian that had been walking along the highway with another (non injured 0pedestrian) after their vehicle had broken down.  CPR was initiated on the scene by citizens, and taken over by EMS when they arrived.  The roadway was blocked for 6 hours for investigation and has just reopened after 630 AM. 

We will post more details in an updated article when we get the official WSP report. 

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Update 7:10 AM - the Washington State Patrol Confirms the fatality, a 49 year old Tacoma man and a 42-year-old Puyallup woman had been outside of their vehicle along the shoulder, a green 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe when the 49-year-old man was struck by a red 1987 Merkur XR4TI driven by a 32-year-old Hoquiam man.  The Merkur also struck the Tahoe.  

The Hoquiam man has been booked into County Jail under Vehicular Homicide charges, the WSP report says the cause of the collision is still under investigation and it was unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved. 

On September 15, 2021, the Grays Harbor Drug Task Force (GHDTF), along with the assistance of the Aberdeen Police Department, served a search warrant in the 300 block of E. 3rd Street in Aberdeen after a year-long investigation of selling methamphetamines and heroin from the location. A fifty-five-year-old Aberdeen man was arrested and booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail on multiple drug related charges. Methamphetamine, Heroin, cash and drug paraphernalia were seized in the warrant service.

The apartment that was searched is directly across the street from St. Mary’s Church, approximately one block away from the front door of Aberdeen High School, and less than two blocks away from St. Mary’s School.

The GHDTF as well as all the law enforcement agencies of Grays Harbor County continue to make illegal drug traffickers a top priority. Drug Dealers are the biggest threat to our communities. If you know of drug dealers in our community, you are urged to call the Tip Line at 360-580-4141.