Did Sheriff's Top Deputy Have Alcohol in System Before Crash? Court Records Reveal All

Details of the Collision Involving a Sheriff’s Office Major

A court document filed on Monday by Pierce County prosecutors has provided additional details about a two-car crash that Sheriff's Office Major Chadwick Dickerson is suspected of causing while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon southeast of Graham, and the initial response was handled by sheriff’s deputies before the investigation was handed over to the Washington State Patrol.

Deputies at the scene reported to a state trooper that they did not observe any signs of impairment in Dickerson. However, when a different trooper spoke with Dickerson at the hospital, he noted an "obvious" odor of intoxicants and observed that Dickerson had watery and bloodshot eyes. Dickerson claimed he had consumed two vodka sodas while golfing but did not feel impaired. He refused voluntary field sobriety tests, leading to his arrest on suspicion of DUI. A warrant for a blood draw was obtained, which was conducted nearly four hours after the collision.

The probable cause document, filed by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, outlines the circumstances surrounding the crash and requests more time to gather information before deciding whether to charge Dickerson with a crime. His booking charges were later changed from DUI to vehicular assault after it was revealed that a passenger in the other vehicle—a 57-year-old woman—had suffered fractured ribs and a fractured back. Dickerson himself reportedly had three fractured ribs, a hematoma, and a bruise.

Dickerson, who is 52 years old, spent the night in jail on suspicion of vehicular assault, a felony, and was released on Monday afternoon following a court order. He is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday. Dickerson has been employed with the Sheriff’s Office for nearly 25 years and has since been placed on administrative leave.

Carly Cappetto, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, stated that a decision regarding Dickerson’s employment would be made once due process is complete and a verdict is announced. “If he is found guilty, he will no longer have paid leave and will be terminated,” she said.

Location and Nature of the Crash

The collision occurred at the intersection of 132nd Avenue East and 288th Street East, an uncontrolled intersection without stop signs or traffic signals. According to initial reports from the Washington State Patrol, Dickerson failed to yield and was struck by an SUV carrying six people. In a subsequent press release, the State Patrol confirmed that Dickerson's pickup collided with the SUV.

Both vehicles ended up in the same ditch with front-end damage. Dickerson's pickup was missing its front-left wheel, and the SUV was on its passenger side with the windshield broken out. Dickerson allegedly told a trooper that he was T-boned. According to the probable cause document, he approached a technical collision investigator with the Sheriff’s Office and stated that he had taken his eyes off the road momentarily when entering 288th Street East, leading to the collision.

The collision scene appeared to have been cleaned up before the trooper arrived. All debris was placed in the bed of Dickerson’s pickup, and the truck seemed to be cleaned out of valuables. There were no firetrucks or medical aid on scene when the trooper arrived.

Response and Investigation

The Sheriff’s Office stated the collision occurred around 3:45 p.m. The probable cause document notes that a sergeant arrived at the scene at 4:26 p.m., and a trooper was notified to respond at 4:54 p.m. The State Patrol’s press release indicated that the Sheriff’s Office requested their response at 4:43 p.m.

Due to the severity of the incident and Dickerson’s position within the Sheriff’s Office, the collision investigator determined that an outside agency should conduct the investigation. The investigator received approval from Major Jake Greger to hand over the case to the State Patrol. Greger oversees the Sheriff’s Office foothills, mountain, and peninsula detachments.

Deputies initially told the responding trooper that there were no serious injuries from the collision. The State Patrol initially reported that only Dickerson and the 57-year-old woman were transported to the hospital. However, the State Patrol clarified later that all six occupants of the SUV were transported to area hospitals as a precaution. Only the 57-year-old woman and Dickerson were injured. The SUV included a 27-year-old pregnant woman driving, her husband, mother, and three children aged 3, 4, and 8.

Dickerson was picked up by his wife and taken to MultiCare Emergency care center in South Hill. According to the State Patrol, he was later transported to Tacoma General Hospital after his arrest.

Statement from Sheriff Keith Swank

Sheriff Keith Swank welcomed the outside investigation in comments to news reporters. He explained that he was unavailable during the wreck and that handing the case over to the State Patrol was the "best decision."

“That decision is best to have an independent agency review it so that we can be open and transparent and pass it off to somebody that will do a thorough investigation,” Swank said. “The State Patrol, this is their expertise so they'll do a great job on it.”