Rainier High School Student Identified As Victim In Deadly DUI Crash

The 17-year-old girl who was killed in a DUI crash in Western Washington was identified as Jessie Uch, a senior and cheerleader attending Rainier High School, KOMO reports.

Uch was in the passenger seat when the vehicle she was in collided with another car in the 13800 block of Rainer Road Southeast around 5:45 p.m. Saturday (March 4), according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office. The impact killed the young girl, shocking the community.

"Jessie touched many people in her lifetime and her loss has, and will continue to have, enormous impacts on our students, staff and community members," Bryon Bahr, the Rainier School District Superintendent, said. "The Rainier School District asks that everyone join us in extending our thoughts and prayers to the entire Uch family and friends during this difficult time."

Investigators believe the 18-year-old driver that Uch was with lost control of his vehicle and veered into oncoming traffic. Another car traveling south struck the passenger side where Uch was seated. The 18-year-old man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The 24-year-old Rainier woman who drove the other car was taken to Providence Medical Center.

“The odor of alcohol was apparent from the 18-year-old causing driver. He was processed for Driving Under the Influence and will face charges of Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “We are saddened by this senseless loss of life and stand with those affected by this incident.” 

Candi Shelton, a close friend of Uch's family, described the high school senior as "bubbly" and "always sharing her sunshine around."

"We felt like it could have been preventable, and this is very hard and should not have happened and it happened," Shelton told reporters. She and a relative also set up a GoFundMe to cover the funeral expenses for the 17-year-old girl.

The investigation is ongoing.