On June 21 at about 12:47 p.m., Clallam County Deputies responded to the report of a vehicle accident having taken place about 6.5 miles up the Sekiu River Mainline logging Road which is accessed from milepost 10 on Highway 112, Sekiu. A person driving along the roadway earlier on that day discovered the vehicle accident and called 911 dispatchers stating the vehicle was upside down in the Sekiu River and there was someone trapped beneath the vehicle.

Deputies responded to the scene of the accident and determined the sole occupant of the vehicle was deceased. The vehicle had been traveling along Sekiu River Road as it left the roadway while attempting to drive over a bridge. The vehicle rolled over as it left the roadway and crashed into the Sekiu River. Deputies trained in accident reconstruction documented the accident scene in an attempt to determine the cause of the crash.

First responders from the Clallam County Fire Department and Neah Bay Ambulance crews assisted with the removal of a deceased man from the wreckage. The man was identified as being 33-year-old Steven M. Boynton who resides in Sekiu. During the investigation, Deputies learned that Steven worked for the Dahlgren Logging Company based in Forks. On June 20 Steven had been working at a Dahlgren logging site which is accessed from the Sekiu River Road. Steven left the job site that evening but never returned home. Law enforcement had not been notified Steven was overdue and had not returned home that evening. Although the cause of the crash has not yet been determined, Clallam County Sheriff’s Department said it is believed that speed may have been a contributing factor to the cause of the crash.

CASE No: 2019-12816