Woman arrested in five-car crash for driving on marijuana

A five-car crash that injured 12 on US 2 last night resulted in the arrest of a Marysville woman, 26, in suspicion of being under the influence of marijuana.

At about 6:20 p.m. Monday, police responded to a report of a multiple vehicle crash on US 2.

A white Chrysler van driven eastbound by a Sultan woman, 72, had been paused on the road, waiting to make a left turn just east of Sofie Road outside Monroe.

A second vehicle, a Chevy Blazer driven by a Monroe woman, 23, slowed behind the van.

A third vehicle, a Dodge Durango, driven by a Marysville woman, 26, with two children on board, ages 1 and 5, came up behind the first two vehicles but didn't stop. It skidded and turned left, hit the Chevy Blazer in front of it and then crossed the center line and hit another vehicle head on.

That vehicle, a Dodge Caravan, was driven by a Startup woman, 37,-áwith five children ages 7-13 on board.

A fifth driver, a man, 36, of Sultan, was traveling west behind the Dodge Caravan that was struck head-on. The man skidded off the road to avoid the crash ahead of him and wound up in the ditch at the side of the road.

The Sultan woman who had been waiting to make a left turn was not injured, but her van was damaged and towed away.

The young woman behind her in the Blazer was taken by ambulance to Valley General.

The Startup woman struck head-on was also taken to Harborview, in critical condition. -áThe 13-year-old with her was seriously injured and taken to Harborview by aid car. The child of 14 and the child of 11 with her were taken by aid car to Valley General Hospital. The children ages 7 and 10 who had been with her were taken by aid car to Providence in Everett.

The driver of the car that veered off the road escaped injury, but his car was damaged and towed.

The Marysville woman who police say caused the crash was injured and taken to Providence Hospital in Everett. The two children with her, ages 1 and 5, were not injured.

Police contacted her in the hospital. She hold told first responders that she had been a passenger in the car. But the officer noticed that the seatbelt wound across her torso was angled the wrong way to have been the passenger. She told the officer that her kids had been fighting and screaming in the back seats and she'd turned to look. When she looked front again, she saw the vehicles in front of her and hadn't been able to stop.

The officer told her that a marijuana pipe had been found in the car and asked if she'd been using. She said she'd had no alcohol, but stated that she had smoked marijuana earlier that day, and said that she was a daily pot smoker.

The officer gave her a test for marijuana use called the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus and reported that she gave the maximum positive result. The test measures involuntary movements of the eye associated with marijuana intoxication.

The woman was booked into jail on three counts of vehicular assault.