Thurston judge releases Rainier man accused of March 4 vehicular homicide
A Thurston County judge conditionally released an 18-year-old Rainier man last week accused of causing a March 4 crash that killed a 17-year-old Rainier student.
Isaiah Scott Harris-Cook attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Friday, June 16. Deputies arrested him on Thursday in connection with the death of Jessie Uch, a 17-year-old Rainier High School student and cheerleader.
Uch died at the scene of a March 4 car wreck on the 13800 block of Rainier Road Southeast. She was a passenger in a car driven by Harris-Cook when it collided with an oncoming vehicle after attempting a turn, according to court records.
First responders transported Harris-Cook to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, and he was later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The driver of the other vehicle, a 24-year-old Rainier woman, was taken to St. Peter Hospital with injuries.
In a Tuesday news release, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said they held off on arresting Harris-Cook because he needed medical care that the county jail could not provide.
Harris-Cook has been accused of vehicular homicide while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, vehicular assault while under the influence, driving under the influence, and driving under 21 while consuming alcohol or cannabis.
On Friday, Judge Anne Egeler found probable cause for the alleged crimes but did not set bail. Instead, she ordered Harris-Cook be released with conditions, barring him from possessing or consuming alcohol or any controlled substance without a lawful prescription. She also forbade him from leaving the state and driving without a valid license, insurance or ignition interlock.
Harris-Cook has no known criminal convictions, according to court records. His arraignment hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. June 27.
The investigation
An affidavit of probable cause statement describes the investigation into the incident from the perspective of law enforcement.
A deputy arrived at the scene on Rainier Road near 138th Avenue after 5:40 p.m. March 4 and observed Harris-Cook being attended to by first-responders, according to the statement.
The two vehicles reportedly sustained “extensive damage” that rendered them inoperable. The statement says Harris-Cook’s vehicle, a red Subaru, was severely damaged on the passenger side where Uch sat, and a vape pen had fallen out of the vehicle.
The 24-year-old driver of the other vehicle reportedly spoke with the deputy after first responders moved her to an ambulance. She reportedly told the deputy that she was driving south when she saw Harris-Cook’s vehicle drive around a sweeping corner, lose control and enter her traffic lane.
The driver said the vehicle struck hers and she believed it was traveling at unsafe speeds, according to the statement. She reportedly wore a seatbelt and suffered a broken hand in addition to bruising on her torso.
In a follow-up interview, the driver told a detective that Harris-Cook’s vehicle appeared to drift, straighten out and then over-correct. She alleged again that his vehicle exceeded the speed limit, the statement says.
Firefighters at the scene reportedly told a deputy they smelled intoxicants on Harris-Cook while providing care. In a news release, the Sheriff’s Office indicated they suspected alcohol may have been involved based on witness statements.
A deputy collected a blood sample and other items from Harris-Cook at 8:46 p.m. after being granted a search warrant. The blood sample was sent to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.
On May 17, the toxicology report returned a positive test for THC, the major psychoactive component of cannabis, but not for alcohol. The report indicated Harris-Cook had 4.7 ng/mL plus or minus 1.2 ng/mL of THC and 34 ng/mL of Carboxy-THC in his blood, according to the statement.
On March 5, Harris-Cook reportedly told a detective he was traveling the speed limit and denied smoking or drinking the day of the crash. He said he didn’t do anything unusual, and he had driven on that road a “billion” times.
He said his vehicle tires stopped gripping the roadway about halfway through the corner and he lost control, according to the statement. The next thing he knew, he woke up in the hospital, he said.
The detective then asked him what he thought the speed limit was at the scene of the collision. He reportedly said it was 50 miles per hour. The statement says the posted advisory speed for the corner is 30 miles per hour.
