Tag: skagit

By Caleb Hutton

A Washington State Patrol trooper won’t be charged with a crime after crashing into a Vietnamese man in Mount Vernon, killing him, the Skagit Valley Herald reported.

Hong Dinh Nguyen, 26, of Vietnam, died late Aug. 14, 2012, in Mount Vernon, when he was struck by a cruiser driven by Trooper Mark Francis on a southbound Interstate 5 off-ramp.

Here’s two-fifths of the (Skagit) Herald’s story.

Skagit County Prosecutor Rich Weyrich announced in a statement Monday that he will not pursue charges against a state trooper involved in a pedestrian fatality in August.

Hong Dinh Nguyen of Vietnam was killed the evening of Aug. 14 in Mount Vernon when he was hit by a patrol car leaving southbound Interstate 5 on the off-ramp to College Way.

From a story we printed in late August:

Nguyen was hit when he crossed in front of Trooper Mark Francis’ patrol car about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, on the southbound East College Way exit, according to a report from Trooper Keith Leary. Francis and another trooper were in the process of turning around to respond to a call on northbound Interstate 5, according to the report.

Nguyen died at the scene. The cause of death was blunt force injury to the head, Skagit Deputy Coroner Bob Clark said.

Both the Mount Vernon Police Department and Washington State Patrol are investigating the incident.

Francis was not placed on administrative leave after Nguyen’s death. He has served as a state patrol spokesman since late November.

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