Woman who struck and killed bicyclist had been drinking, WSP says

A woman who struck and killed a bicyclist near Airway Heights early Sunday morning had been drinking and was driving on the shoulder of Highway 2, court documents show.

Washington State Patrol investigators believe that Melissa A. Paul, 27, was driving her Toyota 4-Runner westbound as much as eight feet off the travel lane and onto the shoulder when she hit the westbound cyclist, according to court documents. Ty M. Olds, 44, was thrown on and partially through the windshield after he was struck. He died at the scene.

Paul told investigators she had not been drinking, but a breath test showed that her blood-alcohol level was .067, court documents state. In addition to vehicular homicide, Paul was charged with possession of a controlled substance after troopers found Tramadol, a narcotic, in her wallet.

During the investigation a WSP trooper found a bag of drugs and a digital scale near his patrol car. A review of the trooper’s dash camera footage showed that Paul’s passenger, Stephan A. Goodwin, placed the items there. Goodwin was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute.

Paul and Goodwin are both being held in the Spokane County Jail on $150,000 bond.