A 26-year-old Washington man faces felony charges after a deadly head-on crash Sunday afternoon killed the wife of former Seattle Mariners player and Yakima mayor Dave Edler, leaving the former big leaguer critically injured.
According to the Yakima Police Department, the collision occurred around 4:30 p.m. in the 7600 block of Coolidge Road near South 76th Avenue.
Investigators stated that an oncoming vehicle traveling westbound at high speed crossed the center line into the eastbound lane, slamming into the Edlers' car. Emergency responders had to cut both victims from the crushed wreckage. Susie Edler, 67, and Dave Edler, 70, were rushed to MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital with catastrophic injuries.
Susie Edler died shortly after arriving. Dave Edler was stabilized and airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he remains in critical condition.
Authorities identified the driver of the other vehicle as 26-year-old Trevor Allen Stockton of Yakima.
Law enforcement stated that alcohol impairment is suspected to have been a direct factor in the wreck.
Officers took Stockton into custody at the scene, and prosecutors formally charged him with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.
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Stockton made his preliminary court appearance Monday in Yakima County Superior Court. The presiding judge set bail at $75,000, calling attention during the proceedings to what was described as Stockton's cold reaction following the crash.
Dave Edler remains a prominent figure in central Washington sports and the local community.
After playing college baseball at Washington State University, the Seattle Mariners selected him in 1978, and he played 126 games for the franchise between 1980 and 1983.
Following his baseball career, Edler entered public life, serving on the Yakima City Council from 2003 to 2006 before serving a term as mayor from 2006 to 2010. He and his wife also served as pastoral leaders at Yakima Foursquare Church for three decades. Investigators are still awaiting official toxicology results as they wrap up the case.
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