NCN911: Truck driver sought in fatal Donkey Creek incident

Racial slurs reported after two Quinault men were run over at campground.

May 28, 2017 1:30 am
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Department is looking for a truck like this one in the incident at Donkey Creek.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Department is looking for a truck like this one in the incident at Donkey Creek.

The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Department is searching for the driver of a white pickup truck that witnesses say ran over two men, with one man dying Sunday night in Tacoma General Hospital and the other transferred there with complications to his injuries.

A Sheriff’s Department news release said the suspect was seen driving recklessly doing doughnuts on a gravel bar at the Donkey Creek Campgrounds in the Humptulips area of Grays Harbor County on Saturday morning at about 1:30.

Some of the campers who witnessed the incident say they initially got upset at the driver’s driving behavior and told him to stop, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

After that report was released publicly, the Quinault Indian Nation also issued a news release to add additional details and correct the initial information. That release identified the deceased victim as James Kramer, 20, of Taholah, and the other surviving victim as Harvey Anderson, 19 of Aberdeen.

Witnesses said Kramer saved Anderson’s life by pushing him away from the oncoming vehicle and took the brunt of the hit himself, the Quinault release said. Both were initially treated at Grays Harbor Community Hospital before being taken to Tacoma General, where Kramer died at about 10 p.m.

The truck is described as a mid-1990s Chevy with an extended cab and large tires. “The driver was screaming racial slurs and war whoops when he ran over the two tribal members,” said the Quinault Nation news release.

The driver was described in both accounts as a 30-35 year old white male with dark hair and a short beard. There was also a female passenger in the vehicle who was described as a 30-year-old with dark hair.

Anyone with information on the potential suspect is asked to call Detective Sergeant Darrin Wallace or Deputy Eric Cowsert at (360) 533-8765. Quinault Chief of Police Mark James is assisting in the investigation and reported on Sunday that there “are no suspects at this time.” The Quinault release disputed an earlier report that implied a rock was thrown at the truck before the victims were run over.

“A rock was not thrown at the suspect’s truck until after the two men had been run over,” the Quinault release said.

“The Grays Harbor County Sheriffis Office has concurred that the act was intentional.”

Safe city designation

As far as being safe from crime, Ocean Shores is No. 43.

The National Council for Home Safety and Security has ranked Ocean Shores as the 43rd safest city in the state of Washington, and the only city to make the list from Grays Harbor County.

The safest city in the state was deemed to be Duvall, east of Seattle, followed by another suburban King County city, Sammamish, and then Connell in Franklin County, DuPont in King County and Pullman in Eastern Washington.

After Ocean Shores, the final cities to make the top 50 included Fircrest, Enumclaw, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Mountlake Terrace, Bothell and Issaquah.

Grays Harbor Sheriff’s log

May 20

• Domestic violence on State Route 109 at State Route 115 at 5:54 p.m.

• Theft of debit card/used several times, reported at 4:11 p.m. on Smith Ln. in Moclips.

May 21

• Abandoned vehicle with travel trailer in the 1700 block of Ocean Beach Road a 1:29 p.m.

• Ongoing noise problem with neighbor’s dogs barking on McCullough Rd. in Copalis Beach, reported at 8:19 p.m.

May 22

• Assist with response to fire at 9:31 a.m. on Hoquiam St. in Copalis Beach.

• Fight in the parking lot of North Beach High School on SR 115 at 2:38 p.m.

• Suspect caught trying to siphon gas out of vehicle in the 100 block of E. Chance a la Mer St. in Ocean Shores at 6:39 p.m.

May 23

• Traffic hazard/abandoned vehicle with travel trailer dumped in driveway in the 400 block of Kirkpatrick Rd. at 1:24 p.m.

• Response to verbal argument in the 700 block of Park Ct. NE in Ocean Shores at 5:46 p.m.

May 24

• Domestic violence reported at 3:34 p.m. in the 4800 block of Pacific Ave. in Moclips.

• Burglary reported in the 4800 block of Pacific Ave. in Moclips at 4:12 p.m.

• Warrant served in theh 700 block of S. Rain St. in Ocean Shores at 8:15 p.m.

• Traffic accident/vehicle in bushes off roadway on SR 109 at Burrows Road at 10:48 p.m.

• Disorderly conduct/male refusing to leave the Qualiy Inn in the 700 block of Ocean Shores Blvd. NW at 4:41 a.m.