A vehicular homicide suspect wanted by police was arrested in Skagit County Sunday night.
Oak Harbor resident Jeromy Ladwig, 35, was taken into custody during a traffic stop at the twin bridges near Anacortes, according to Detective Ed Wallace with the Island County Sheriff’s Office.
Ladwig appeared in Island County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.
Ladwig was wanted on a $100,000 warrant after he failed to appear at an Aug. 15 hearing in Island County Superior Court. The sheriff’s office asked the community for information on his whereabouts, resulting in numerous 911 reports about sightings on North Whidbey.
Ladwig is accused of causing a May 2 crash on North Whidbey that killed Keesha Harden, an 18-year-old Coupeville resident. A toxicology report from the Washington State Patrol’s crime lab showed that he had methamphetamine in his system at the time, according to court documents.
Prosecutors charged Lad-wig in Island County Superior Court Aug. 4 with “all alternatives” of vehicular homicide.
Under the law, there are three “prongs” of the vehicular homicide charge. A driver who caused the deadly accident is guilty of vehicular homicide if he or she was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or a drug; in a reckless manner; or with disregard for the safety of others.
According to the state patrol report on the collision, Ladwig, Harden and Randon Koepke, 32, were in a 2001 Ford Mustang in the parking lot of Joseph Whidbey Park on North Whidbey about 4:15 a.m.
Ladwig accelerated quickly, causing the Mustang to fishtail, and went through a stop sign at the park’s exit without stopping. He continued on to West Beach Road at a high rate of speed, according to the trooper’s report. The Mustang was struck by an eastbound 2004 Dodge Dakota pickup driven by Nathan Dee, 26, of Oak Harbor.
Harden, the front seat passenger, suffered a broken hip as well as head and internal injuries. She died during surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, the report states.
Dee was transported to Whidbey General Hospital by a family member; he was treated and released. Koepke was treated for knee and foot injuries and released from the hospital.
Ladwig suffered a broken clavicle, multiple broken ribs and a head injury, the trooper wrote.
Ladwig appeared in Island County Superior Court after the fatal crash. He was injured in the crash and strapped to a gurney during the hearing. He was in obvious pain and had trouble speaking.
At the request of the defense attorney, the judge released him on his personal recognizance.
