Opening statements for the trial for a man charged with killing a Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper in March 2024 started today.
The defendant, Raul Benitez-Santana, is accused of crashing into the back of a WSP cruiser on I-5 on March 2, 2024, while driving under the influence. According to a witness, the SUV driven by Benitez-Santana swerved and hit the back of the WSP vehicle. The SUV then ricocheted off the patrol vehicle and stopped in the fast lane, where it was hit by a van with six people inside.
WSP Trooper Christopher Gadd, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the car that was crashed into, died in the collision…