A Tacoma man claimed to be a passenger in a fatal Benton County crash, police disagree
A Tacoma man is facing charges for a fatal May crash in rural Benton County after allegedly lying about what happened.
George R. Thomas IV, 39, told investigators he was in the back of the Toyota Tacoma when it slammed into a semi truck on Sellards Road about 9:30 p.m. on May 24, according to court documents.
But investigators believe all of the evidence at the scene tells a different story. Benton County prosecutors recently charged Thomas with vehicular homicide, and a $250,000 nationwide warrant has been issued.
Thomas told investigators that he and Laffette Battle, 53, of Federal Way, were traveling in Eastern Washington to the Snake River for a fishing and camping trip, court documents say.
Court documents say the men left a casino sometime before the crash. It’s unclear what casino it was.
Casino security video allegedly shows someone wearing the same clothes as Battle getting in the passenger’s seat, while a man matching Thomas’ clothes gets behind the driver’s seat.
Investigators said the truck was going east in the westbound lane of Sellards Road south of Benton City. A computer in the pickup showed it was going 82 mph five seconds before the crash.
The truck was near Clodius Road when a semi heading straight for the truck saw the Tacoma in the wrong lane.
The semi driver tried to swerve out of the way of the pickup, but wasn’t able to move fast enough, court documents said.
The collision demolished the passenger side of the Tacoma, killing Battle instantly, court documents said. The semi’s passenger side axles and undercarriage were destroyed as the truck jackknifed.
The driver’s side of the pickup was left intact, and the driver’s side door was found open.
Police discovered beer bottles in the bed of the pickup and the smell of alcohol was heavy inside of the truck.
When police arrived, Thomas was already out of the truck. He told investigators that he had been asleep in the back of the truck.
But based on the damage to the pickup, the semi and the human remains on the scene, investigators believed that Battle was in the passenger’s seat.
Thomas was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center where his blood was taken.
Thomas has a history of driving without a license, driving under the influence and theft.
