Authorities arrested a pickup truck driver following a collision in Thurston County that left a motorcyclist with injuries.
The crash occurred at midnight on June 11, at the intersection of Prather Road SW and Old Highway 99 SW.
Responding deputies from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office found a Ford F-150 pickup at the scene and the injured motorcyclist lying near the roadway.
The pickup driver, identified as Matthew Michael Elzie of Portland, Oregon, told investigators he tried to turn left onto Old Highway 99 when a southbound motorcycle hit the rear driver’s side of his vehicle. His female passenger gave a similar statement.
Authorities observed alleged signs of impairment in Elzie, including flushed skin, watery eyes, and slurred speech. His passenger said they had been drinking at a nearby establishment shortly before the crash. Elzie admitted he was driving without a valid license and refused to take a standard field sobriety tests.
The deputy then requested a search warrant for evidence of driving under the influence. After getting the approval, deputies searched the Ford F-150 and collected two vials of Elzie’s blood for toxicology testing. Deputies also found several unopened alcoholic beverages inside the Ford pickup.
Elzie was brought to MultiCare Capital Medical Center in Olympia where blood samples were collected under a search warrant for toxicology testing. Upon booking at Thurston County Corrections Facility, suspected narcotics were also discovered in his possession.
Deputies charged the 43-year-old man with vehicular assault for driving under the influence and causing injury to the motorcyclist. The injured motorcyclist was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia for medical treatment.
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