Millions view WSP trooper crash bodycam on YouTube crime channel
The story of a Washington State Patrol trooper’s vehicular homicide arrest has gone viral with millions of views after being featured on a popular true crime YouTube channel.
Explore With Us’ channel EWU Bodycam posted an 18-minute video about the deadly March 1 crash on Highway 240 that involved off-duty Trooper Sarah Clasen.
The channel, which boasts 2.8 million subscribers, describes itself as “a news agency committed to delivering ... information about police procedures and local news events.”
The video, titled “Cop Laughs After Hitting Motorcyclist As He’s Dying” includes body camera footage from Richland police and the Washington State Patrol, along with audio from 911 calls and the Richland police reports to detail the investigation.
The video has been watched more than 2.9 million times since it was posted on Nov. 17. And it’s drawn more than 12,000 comments.
About 400 pages of Richland police reports obtained by the Tri-City Herald in April show Clasen allegedly spent four hours at a Richland bar with her husband after work before picking up a pizza and driving toward home.
She was making a left turn into her Horn Rapids neighborhood when she collided with Jhoser Vega Sanchez’s motorcycle. The 20-year-old was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, where he died.
Investigation into trooper’s crash
Richland Officer Steve Heid became suspicious that Clasen may have been drinking after interviewing her at the scene.
He said her eyes were a little glossy, he could faintly smell alcohol, and she had multiple misspellings on her short written statement about what happened. She refused to take a preliminary breath test at the scene and was arrested.
The Washington State Patrol’s toxicology laboratory determined that her blood-alcohol level was 0.17%, over twice the legal limit, when her blood was drawn six hours after the crash.
While she initially told investigators that she had been home that night and left to get pizza, police soon learned that she had been at The Moon Palace Restaurant in Richland, where she and her husband were regulars.
Video shows tense interactions between Richland police officers and the manager of the business. They accused the manager of destroying the Clasens’ tab from the night of the crash, according to the video.
The video also shows officers talking with Vega Sanchez’s family. His father told officers, “We are destroyed.”
Delays in the case
While Clasen was arrested following the crash, she was released on her own recognizance and not initially charged as the investigation continued, and the prosecution was referred to Spokane County to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
She was charged six months later with vehicular homicide while driving drunk. She pleaded innocent to the charge in late September.
Clasin, who is on paid leave from her job, is out of custody on her own recognizance pending trial in February.
This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Millions view WSP trooper crash bodycam on YouTube crime channel."