A county commissioner’s election night accident resulted in a DUI charge.

SOUTH BEND — The crash report has been released for the incident that landed Pacific County Commissioner Lisa Olsen in handcuffs. She is facing a charge of misdemeanor driving under the influence in Pacific County North District Court.

Law enforcement and first responders responded to a reported vehicle crash on Nov. 5 around milepost 11 on State Route 6 at 9:26 p.m. Responders found a vehicle crashed in the eastbound ditch.

According to court records, Pacific County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Lucas Marthaller was the first law enforcement officer on the scene and suspected Olsen of being impaired. He relayed the information to a responding Washington State Patrol trooper and added that she was “refusing to speak with him and being uncooperative.”

“Deputy Marthaller later advised that the driver fell in the ditch, and the [volunteer] firefighters had to assist her,” WSP Trooper Timothy J. Cunningham states in court records. “Deputy Marthaller later advised when the first volunteer firefighter arrived on scene, the driver was on all fours near the vehicle.”

“Deputy Marthaller later advised that the volunteer firefighter advised that the driver had threw up in his pickup truck waiting for me to arrive on scene,” Cunningham added.

Cunningham reportedly contacted Olsen at the firefighter’s truck and found her asleep inside. He reportedly immediately knew who she was and “detected a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from the vehicle.” He also made other observations, including her eyes reportedly being bloodshot, watery, and drooping eyelids.

“Olsen’s speech was slurred and inaudible; I was unable to understand Olsen as she spoke,” Cunningham states. “After Olsen repeated herself several times, I was able to make out some of what she was saying.”

“Olsen advised she was in Raymond, WA, and on her way home to South Bend, WA. Olsen advised she didn’t know how she got her vehicle in the ditch. I asked Olsen to step out of the truck,” Cunningham added.

According to court records, Cunningham noted Olsen was “immediately unsteady on her feet, using the truck for balance.” He added, “As Olsen stood still, she would sway in a circular motion and stumble around to catch her balance.”

“In open air outside the vehicle, I could detect a strong and obvious odor of intoxicants emitting from Olsen’s breath as she spoke,” Cunningham states.

Olsen reportedly agreed to complete a field sobriety test, which led Cunningham to determine she made four of six clues of intoxication on the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, five of eight clues on the Walk and Turn Test, and two of four clues on the One Leg Stand Test.

According to court records, Olsen also gave a Preliminary Breath Test sample, which read .189% blood alcohol content, approximately 2.3 times the legal limit to drive of .08%. Olsen was immediately arrested for suspicion of DUI.

She reportedly later provided additional samples at the courthouse of .163%, .167%, .163%, and .165%, during which she asked if she could call an attorney.

“I advised Olsen she can always contact an attorney,” Cunningham states. “I advised Olsen that because we already started the test and provided one sample, that stopping it now would become a refusal.”

“Olsen asked what that meant, and I told her I explained it to her in the Implied Consent Warnings. I advised Olsen it was up to her if she wanted me to stop the test so she could call the attorney or continue the test. Olsen continued with the test.”

Following the tests, Olsen reportedly asked to call the attorney and asked for Scott Harmer, a former defense attorney. He is now the acting elected judge for the Pacific County North District Court.

Olsen has since hired defense attorney Nathan Needham of Needham-Glenn Law to represent her.

“I transported Olsen to her residence in South Bend, WA,” Cunningham states. “At the residence I advised Olsen I would get her cell phone from her vehicle and return it to her. When I made the comment, I was going back to where her vehicle was crashed, Olsen said, ‘crashed?’ and started laughing.

“Olsen stated, ‘slid, not crashed.’ I explained the citation to Olsen, including her court date before leaving,” Cunningham added.

Cunningham later returned to Olsen’s home, where he returned her cell phone and a record of her car being towed from the scene.

“I asked Olsen if she knew where or what she hit with her vehicle to cause the damage down the driver side of the vehicle, she states she did not,” Cunningham states before adding he has yet to figure out how the damage occurred.

Olsen appeared in the Pacific County North District Court on Nov. 12 and pleaded not guilty to one count of DUI. The case is being tried by a prosecutor from Wahkiakum County and a visiting judge from outside the area.

The Observer has contacted Olsen several times but she declined to comment on the matter. Needham has not been reachable.

Olsen was re-elected to another four-year term on the Pacific County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 5, running unopposed for the large district that spans from the southern peninsula to South Bend and east to the county line.