Updated 11:30 a.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A woman in her 20s died after apparently jumping out of a moving vehicle on Interstate 5 in Centralia last night.
Troopers and aid were called about 7:50 p.m. to the southbound lanes south of the Mellen Street interchange, but the female died at the scene from massive head trauma, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Trooper Ryan Tanner said the van was traveling in the outside lane and she landed on the shoulder next to the guard rail.
The woman had opened the right front passenger door and jumped out near Salzer Creek at milepost 80, according to the state patrol.
Tanner said he didn’t know why.
“It’s obviously not cut and dry in this one, it’s going to take a lot of investigation on our part to try to figure out what happened,” he said.
Her hometown and age are not being released. She did not have any identification on her, he said.
“We’re still trying to figure out a positive ID on the deceased,” Tanner said. “That’s the big thing right now.”
The driver of the van is 49-year-old Robert B. Hicks of Chehalis, according to the patrol. There were no other passengers in the van.
Tanner said the two did not know each other, that Hicks was leaving from a location in Centralia heading to Chehalis and she asked for a ride.
No foul play is suspected, he said.
Troopers were interviewing Hicks as well as other witnesses that saw her prior to the incident when Tanner was briefed last night.