Ferndale Man Killed in Crash on Birch Bay Lynden Road

Whatcom County, Washington – The Washington State Patrol responded to a fatality crash around 2:22 am this morning on Birch Bay Lynden Road near Enterprise Road in Whatcom County.

According to a press memo from the Washington State Patrol, 54- year old Ruben Mondragon-Gutierrez of Ferndale was traveling Westbound on Birch Bay Lynden Road near Enterprise Road in a blue 1991 Toyota Camry at a high rate of speed and without headlights on.  The press memo states the vehicle drove into the ditch on the North Shoulder of Birch Bay Lynden Road, over-corrected into the Eastbound Lanes, drove back into the ditch on the Northbound shoulder and rolled multiple times.  The driver was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene.

Next of Kin was Notified by Trooper Bosman and the vehicle was totaled and impounded for safe keeping by Blaine Towing.

The cause of the crash is listed as Speed and no head lights. Troopers said it was unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, toxicology reports could take several weeks.

According to an article by Caleb Hutton with  the Bellingham Herald, a Lynden Police Officer had been in a short 3-mile pursuit of the same vehicle earlier in the morning but called off the Pursuit due to safety reasons when the driver started driving erratically at speeds of up to 90 miles an hour and he  turned off his headlights during the pursuit. Officers routinely call off pursuits when the risk to the Officers and the public outweighs catching the suspect.  A bicyclist later found the crashed vehicle several miles away from where the pursuit was called off and reported it to police.