Washington soldiers die after being hit by drunk driver traveling in the wrong direction

Two soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state lost their lives when their vehicle was struck by an alleged drunken driver traveling in the wrong direction, the Army reported.

The Washington State Patrol reported that Specialist Charles T. Fairbairn, 29, and Spc. Wendell T. Cerio, 22, died in the crash early Sunday morning. Additionally, a third soldier was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

The accident is under investigation

The Seattle Times published a statement from JBLM spokesman Matt Pargett that Charles Fairbairn was an infantryman, while Wendell Cerio was a doctor.

“We are saddened to learn that two soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division died following an off-post vehicle accident,” Pargett wrote in a statement.

The State Patrol said the crash remains under investigation. “This collision was caused by a wrong-way driver hitting the head of another vehicle,” State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo said via X.

Authorities said Fairbairn was driving west on Highway 12, near the military base south of Tacoma, in a Chrysler 300 when a wrong-way driver in a Ford Edge pickup truck crashed into the sedan.

There was a baby in the vehicle.

The driver, who was apparently drunk, is 23 years old, was accompanied by another 19-year-old passenger. The two were taken to the hospital with injuries. According to authorities, they revealed that a baby was also traveling inside the vehicle who was not injured.

“The driver of the pickup truck was arrested on two counts of DUI vehicular manslaughter. A passenger in the victim vehicle has serious injuries, but they do not endanger his life,” Dattilo confirmed.

With information from AP

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