By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed 16-year-old Tyler Gonzalez was one of many juveniles drinking alcohol at a residence near where he was run over by a vehicle and killed over the weekend.
Detectives have interviewed several attendees at the underage party and have learned who provided the alcohol, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said today.
It’s possible that person could be in trouble, but the investigation isn’t finished yet, according to Brown.
“I don’t have a lot more I can release about who provided the alcohol,” Brown said. “They’re aware. We’ve talked to them.”
The sheriff’s office is awaiting the return of toxicology test results from Gonzalez, according to Brown. They can take as long as two months.
The sophomore from W.F. West High School died early Saturday morning after he left the party and for unknown reasons laid down in the roadway, according to the sheriff’s office.
It happened about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday on Brockway Road near Chilvers Road, about a mile west of Chehalis. He was struck by an SUV.
Sheriff Steve Mansfield called it another sad and tragic incident involving alcohol and juveniles.
“Poor decisions and choices were made with the end result being the loss of a young man’s life,” Mansfield stated in a news release. “The consequences of underage drinking continue to serve as a solemn reminder of how quickly people’s lives and families can be destroyed and altered forever.”
The young people, around 10 of them, were drinking beer and hard liquor in a shop building that sits back from the home, according to Brown.
“The parents were unaware there was a party going on, they were asleep,” she said.
The Washington State Patrol investigated the incident and indicated no charges were expected for the 50-year-old driver of the SUV.
The coroner has concluded the death was an accident.
W.F. West High School students will be hosting a candle light vigil in their classmate’s honor at 7 o’clock tomorrow night in the school’s Bearcat Stadium.