WSP trooper killed in three-vehicle I-5 crash identified, Lynnwood man in custody

MARYSVILLE, Wash. — The Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper who died in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 near Marysville early Saturday morning has been identified.

WSP said Christopher M. Gadd, 27, was on patrol searching for DUI drivers when he was hit and killed. He had been with WSP for two and a half years and started Sept. 16, 2021.

Gadd is survived by his wife, Cammryn, daughter Kaelyn, father WSP Trooper David Gadd, mother Gillian, sister, Jacqueline who currently serves as a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to WSP.

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WSP said Gadd is the 33rd member of the WSP to die in the line of duty in the agency’s 103 years of service to this state.

“Chris’s passing is a devastating loss to his family – a family who knows all too well the risks of public service but still has offered that service with unquestioned valor and now, unfathomable sacrifice,” said WSP Chief John R. Batiste. “I can tell you that across the entire Washington State Patrol, every head is bowed, every knee is bent, and every heart is broken as we mourn this loss."

According to officials, Gadd was tragically killed when they were hit by a motorist just before 3 a.m. on southbound Interstate 5 near 136th Street North. An SUV was driving southbound when it veered off the roadway onto the shoulder where it struck the parked WSP patrol car, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office (SCSO). Police believe the SUV driver was driving at a high speed when he crashed into the Gadd's WSP patrol car.

Officials said another car with six passengers was also involved in the crash and crashed with the SUV. The driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other passengers were not injured.

The crash left all southbound lanes in the area closed while authorities investigated. The lanes were reopened at 12:05 p.m., according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The ramps to SB I-5 from SR 531 have also reopened.

A 32-year-old Lynnwood man was evaluated and taken into custody for vehicular homicide.