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5 things to know Friday

Inslee reproductive health bills; WSP at fault investigation; Crime-targeted Washington trailheads; Public drug use; What happened to Sarena Turner?

WASHINGTON, USA —

Gov. Jay Inslee signs group of bills on abortion and reproductive health access

Gov. Jay Inslee is signing a number of bills Thursday that will protect access to abortion and reproductive care in Washington state.

Inslee has made maintaining the right to have an abortion in the state one of his priorities, and the five bills he is signing Thursday reflect that.

The bills signed protect abortion and gender-affirming care providers from out-of-state prosecution, increase equitable access to abortion, increase consumer protections around selling health data and more. Read more

State Patrol expert determines trooper at fault in injury crash, but WSP cited the other driver

When a rookie state patrol trooper was injured in a crash on northbound Interstate 5 through Seattle last August, responding troopers called in an expert to determine who caused the accident.

That expert, a Washington State Patrol collision technical specialist, gave troopers answers that they did not expect or appreciate. He determined that Trooper Cadet Phirawat Apisit was responsible for the crash that left the driver of the other vehicle injured.

But a KING 5 Investigation reveals that Washington State Patrol supervisors pressed their case against the other driver, a trucker, even though video evidence and the collision tech’s report cleared the truck driver.

“I feel that they’re trying to cover up the fact that their officer was in the wrong,” said truck driver Shawn Foutch of Snohomish, who recently returned to work after spending months at home recuperating from the August 12, 2022 accident. Read more

Frustrated hiker compiles list of most crime-targeted trailheads in western Washington

As the sun comes out, trailhead parking lots are starting to get packed with cars. Car break-ins and thefts at trailheads are becoming a growing problem. One man decided to document this and found the most targeted trailheads in our area.

"Is hiking safe? Absolutely. Are there some really bad trailheads? Absolutely," said the man, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, 

He started compiling vehicle break-in data last year after seeing windows smashed at a trailhead.

The list shows the five most targeted trails with data from 2015 through 2022. All are no more than a two-hour drive from Seattle. Read more

Seattle City Attorney proposes legislation to prohibit public drug use

Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison and a pair of Seattle City Council members introduced legislation on Thursday that would prohibit the use of drugs in public places. The proposed law would make public drug use a misdemeanor, allowing for the prosecution of the crimes. 

Local jurisdictions are scrambling to introduce drug possession and use legislation after the state legislative session failed to produce an updated bill ahead of the state's current law expiring in July.

Overdose deaths in Seattle have increased by 72% year-over-year, according to a release from the city. City data shows that in 2023, there were 589 overdose deaths. In 2022, there were 342. Read more

Unsolved Northwest: What happened to Sarena Turner?

The mother of Sarena Turner says she’s confident investigators will find who killed her 29-year-old daughter. 

It’s a case that major crime detectives have been working on for more than two years and it’s a case one they say is still very active. 

Rashon Turner saw her daughter last on Dec. 11, 2020. 

“She had just walked out the door and she said she’ll be back. She was headed to another county. She ended up calling and said, ‘Oh mom you know I’ll just see you guys tomorrow and we were supposed to go to church on Sunday and she never came home,” Rashon Turner said. 

Three days later, King County Sheriff’s Department deputies discovered a body, later to be identified as Sarena Turner, dumped on the side of the highway in Maple Valley. Read more

RELATED: Western Washington Forecast

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