Crash kills Kitsap woman, closes SR166 for hours

A 29-year-old Belfair woman suspected of driving while under the influence of drugs is facing possible vehicular homicide charges after killing a Silverdale woman in a head-on car crash Thursday night on State-Route 166, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Trooper Jill Zimmerman said Tera L. Cash, 29, will likely face vehicular homicide charges in the death of 27-year-old Silverdale resident Nicole Daniels if blood-test results reveal she had indeed taken drugs before driving Jan. 6, as officers suspect.

According to the WSP, Cash was driving a blue, 2005 Toyota Tacoma eastbound on SR-166 near SR-16 in Port Orchard around 9:30 p.m. when her car veered into the oncoming traffic and struck Daniels’ white, 1995 Toyota 4Runner in the left-front side, killing Daniels on impact.

Officials said SR-166 was closed for four hours following the accident, which also injured Daniels’ passenger, a 19-year-old man from Topeka, Kan., who was transported to Harrison Hospital with lacerations.

Although drugs have not yet been determined as the official cause of the crash, Zimmerman said neither weather nor road conditions were factors.

Cash suffered skull fractures and was transported to Madigan Hospital in Tacoma after a lengthy and involved extrication process, which South Kitsap Fire and Rescue said was hampered by Cash’s “ferocious” pit bull.

Spokeswoman Lisa Kirkemo said the traumatized dog, which suffered a broken leg in the wreck, kept “lunging and biting at the police and firefighters as they tried to get to the victim, and it took six people to restrain the dog and tie its muzzle so it couldn’t bite any of the rescue workers.”

After subduing the animal, Kirkemo said rescue workers tended to the animal’s leg, then turned it over to Kitsap Humane Society officials.

She said due to Cash’s severe injuries, medics had hoped to airlift her out, but poor weather conditions required a transport by medic unit to the hospital.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.