By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A Centralia man died at the scene of a fiery rollover crash in which both occupants were ejected yesterday afternoon in Federal Way.
Billy Powell Jr. 21, was a passenger in a Honda Accord that was northbound off the Interstate 5 ramp to state Route 18 when the driver for whatever reason lost control, according to the Washington State Patrol. The car rolled several times and caught fire, according to the state patrol.
It happened about 12:20 p.m. and the cause remains under investigation.
Trooper Clifford Pratt said the vehicle was on a straightaway and likely speeding, although not wildly over the speed limit .
“It will maybe have more to do with something that was going on inside the car,” Pratt said.
The equipment on the 1992 model Honda was in poor condition he said. “The tires were some of the baldest I’ve ever seen in a crash.”
Santana Sanchez, 27, of Shelton, was badly hurt with broken arms, deep cuts and probably hit her head pretty hard, Pratt said. She landed about 20 feet away and initially indicated she was alone in the vehicle, he said.
In the course of extinguishing the burning car, which came to rest in sticker bushes, they found the other person, about 10 feet away, according to Pratt. Responders tried to revive him, but were unsuccessful, he said.
Pratt said there was probably a five to eight minute delay that may or may not have made a difference.
Powell died from blunt force injury to his torso, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The trooper described Powell as currently homeless, with a last known address in Centralia, which is where his family lives.
Neither of the two were wearing their seat belts, according to the state patrol.
Sanchez was transported to St. Francis Hospital. It’s unknown if she had drugs or alcohol in her system, but investigators are looking at that, according to Pratt.
“It’s a bad situation all the way around,” he said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
To the impartial FUCK YOU! That was my nephew u r talking SHIT about check your break lines every time u get in your car every time l
like honestly fucking stop with all ur shit on here. this is fucking horrible..the loss of billy my best friend, my everything and my.world is the worst part. stop airing personal business it should be left unsaid. it dont matter what the fuck was going o. wben the accident occured….. what matters is the fact that it happend and its very real and he is never. c oming back. so let him rest in peace…… please if its not condolences to the family SHUT THE FUCK UP and aint no reason to say anything. I got ur back though big billy… u have every right as a parent o
IN THIS SAD WORLD OF OURS,SORROW COMES TO ALL;AND,TO THE YOUNG,IT COMES WITH BITTEREST AGONY,BECAUSE IT TAKES THEM UNAWARE.BILLY HAD SUCH GREAT POTENTALY TO BE SOMETHING INCREDIBLE…HE HAD SUCH A HUGE HEART…I WILL MISS HIM TERRIBLE.I LOVED HIM LIKE LOVE MY OWN CHILDREN.TO ME I WOULD BE THERE THE SAME AS I WOULD MY OWN…I LOVE YOU LIL BILLY AND NOW YOU ARE SAFE..TILLWE MEET AGAIN PEACEOUT!!!
maybe it was his time to go….. they say that god always takes the good first before the bad because god wants to save them before they commit a even bigger sin. i dont know him but being the only son i cant imagine how hard it is for his mom and everyone saying stupid shit only torments her even more let her grive her son in peace.. and in the end if the driver is or isnt responsible she will live with this forever and when her time comes she wil have to continue to face the truth
To the victim’s mother: I am deeply saddened to hear of your loss. You are right, of course. Nobody knows the pain of losing a child unless they have been through it. I will pray that God gives you the strength you need to carry you through tragedy. In time, the pain will ease . . . but right now, I’m sure it feels like you’re going to die of a broken heart. My kids are my life, too. I can’t imagine having to go on without them.
To the girl that was driving my very much loved and
Very very much missed son my only son i just want
You to know that you changed my life for ever nothing you
Can do to ever bring my son back i will forever be wuthout
Him and now you haft to live with what you did forever
Just know he was my whole world he was everything to me
I just dont know what to do without him him was my
Son my best friend my minime i just hope you learned
Something from all this but you probably didnt dont ever drink and drive
cuz the next person you kill might be you child i wouldnt ever want anybody to feel the pain of not being able to see love or even be around to se their children he loved little kids and would have been an awesome dad if he was given the chance to now hes just a memory thanks to the drinks you had befor you got behind the wheel i hope you can forgive yourself cuz i dont think i ever will he was my baby he was thethe only person that ever stuck by me threw the bad times and the good times and now hes gone i wish i could take his place cuz the pain of loseing him is unbearable im lost forever without my boy i didnt even gwr to say good bye or tell him i oved him so much befor he passed so littlebilly i love you i will never ever forget you little buddy i hope some day we can be together again until then my son dad loves you very much rest in peace buddy goodbye b.badass
She obviously was under the influence. my condolences to the family. Billy was a good boy and he will be missed. i feel for you too santana. Your whole life has just changed forever. Be strong.
This is a horrible situation and devastating to many families. I didn’t ever have the opportunity to meet Billy but know his mother very well. There are no words that could express the pain I feel for Karyl but my family will always be here to help her through this very difficult time. We love you and your family is in our prayers! (We all know good people make bad decisions, instead of defending what we don’t know let’s grieve for a family who has endured a great loss).
Babe u left me why? ,we were supposed to be together again u promised babe and now ur gone I love u billy powell so fucking much and miss u like crazy its just been a couple dayz since u called wtf babe u left me u really left without me to his momi am sorry ma and wish I could fix it and bring him backand take that pain away billy d powell u have my heart and always will I love u …….
She was ejected from the car and hit her head. I am sure she was knocked senseless and thats why she said she was alone.
Sandra HENDERSON: Maybe because she was down for billy and billy was probably wanted by the law, & perhaps she thought he ran so he did not get caught when police showed up. my take on all of it is she assumed he had already gotten away, i feel horrible for her. She has to live with the fact she killed her bf, or was the cause of his death… she didnt know he was dead till they found his body..
I think if she said she was alone in the car it caused Billie not to get help which may have saved him is wrong and she maybe looking at manslauder He was her boy friend as I was told why would she not tell the officers that. If it had been most women they would be asking if he was all right.
I get it…CRYSTAL ball…
My son and I saw that accident as we were coming home over the new ramp coming from hwy 18 to I-5 🙁 sad… we always say a prayer when we see ambulances and accidents…
My crystal ball says a blood draw will reveal drugs