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Truck driver falsely accused in I-5 crash receives apology

Washington State Patrol (WSP) has paid $1.3 million to trucker Shawn Foutch and issued a formal apology for wrongly accusing him of causing a crash in August 2022.

What happened: Foutch was hauling U.S. mail on northbound I-5 in Seattle when rookie WSP Trooper Cadet Phirawat Apisit struck his truck while performing a "rolling slowdown" maneuver. Dash cam footage showed the cruiser cutting off Foutch's truck.

  • Despite this video evidence, Foutch was cited for negligent driving months later.
  • Foutch underwent field sobriety tests, a breathalyzer, and a blood draw, all of which came back negative.
  • Trooper T.J. Johnson, who was on the scene, speculated that Foutch was intoxicated, though Foutch hadn't consumed alcohol in decades due to diabetes.

Foutch hired a lawyer, leading to the dismissal of his citation and the reassignment of Trooper Johnson, who later retired.

Details: The crash left both Foutch and Apisit injured. The citation was a significant issue for Foutch as a professional driver. An internal investigation found that Apisit did not properly perform the rolling slowdown.

  • WSP's collision tech also confirmed Apisit caused the crash.
  • In an apology letter, WSP Chief John Batiste expressed, "We were wrong, and we’re sorry".

Foutch sought an apology more than financial compensation, reported King 5 News.

The resolution: Although Foutch has mostly recovered from his injuries, he hasn’t yet returned to truck driving.

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