An illegal immigrant has been found guilty in a tragic DUI incident that resulted in the death of a Washington state trooper. Raul Benitez-Santana, aged 33, was convicted of vehicular assault and vehicular homicide related to the fatal collision involving Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd.
Trooper Gadd, who was 27 years old, lost his life when his patrol vehicle was struck by a speeding car traveling in excess of 100 mph in March 2024. At the time of the incident, Benitez-Santana was reportedly under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. He acknowledged consuming these substances prior to operating his vehicle, which was observed swerving erratically before colliding with the rear of Gadd’s parked cruiser. The trooper was conducting enforcement activities aimed at identifying speeding and impaired drivers when the accident occurred, leading to a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 5.
Following his arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer request for Benitez-Santana at Snohomish County Jail, as he is a citizen of Mexico. His immigration history includes multiple encounters with authorities, beginning on October 28, 2013, when he was apprehended by immigration officials at the South Correctional Entity in Burien, Washington, due to a failure to appear in court for a suspended license violation.
Additionally, he faced legal consequences prior to this incident, including a 90-day jail sentence in May 2013 for possession of less than 40 grams of marijuana, of which 87 days were suspended. He also received another 90-day sentence on October 6, 2014, for driving on a suspended license and had an arrest for domestic violence assault in May 2019.
