Mason County man charged with DUI crash that killed motorcyclist in Pierce County
A 35-year-old Grapeview driver accused of crashing into a motorcyclist on the Key Peninsula while under the influence on Feb. 4 has been charged.
Prosecutors charged Zachary Douglas Hines with driving under the influence and vehicular homicide, court records show.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Hines’ behalf during his arraignment on Feb. 6. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille set his bail at $500,000, records show.
Washington State Patrol troopers were dispatched at 7:53 p.m. to the crash on state Route 302 near 138th Avenue Northwest. A homeowner called 911 to report hearing the crash occur, according to the investigation report.
The motorcyclist, Timothy Trammell, 40 of Port Orchard, was unresponsive and in a ditch. According to the report, he was declared dead at the scene.
The white Ford F350 that allegedly crashed into the motorcycle was in a ditch, the report said. When a trooper asked fire personnel if they spoke to Hines, they told him he was not responding to any questions and allegedly refused to come out of the ditch.
Hines eventually emerged from the ditch to speak to the trooper. The trooper said that Hines’ speech was “extremely slurred” and he appeared lethargic. When the trooper asked what happened, Hines said he attempted to pass the bike, but then collided with it head-on. When asked for more details, Hines allegedly appeared confused and kept making comments not relevant to the trooper’s questions.
Investigators learned that Hines was driving his Ford on westbound state Route 302 when he crossed over into the center lane. He allegedly crashed into Trammell’s motorcycle, which was in the eastbound lane.
The trooper allegedly smelled a strong odor of intoxicants coming from Hines. When asked how much alcohol he drank, Hines replied with two, documents show.
Hines declined to perform voluntary field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test, the report said. Hines was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI.
The trooper took Hines to St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, documents show. A blood draw was conducted. A nurse also administered a preliminary breath test, and Hines’ result allegedly was 0.099 percent. The legal limit in Washington is .08.
Hines had been convicted in April 2019 for DUI and hit-and-run of an attended vehicle in Mason County, according to court documents.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
