Man Drives Van Off State Ferry Dock

A man drove a van off the state ferry dock Saturday in this suburb between Seattle and Everett, reportedly after asking a ticket taker, “Do I deserve to live?”

The accident halted service on the Edmonds-Kingston route for more than four hours. A boat that had already left Kingston was diverted to Seattle, and foot passengers were taken to Edmonds by bus, said Susan Harris, a ferry system spokeswoman.

Service resumed about 2 p.m. after a tow truck was used to pull the commercial-type Chevrolet van to the surface.

Motorists who normally use the Edmonds-Kingston run were told to take the Seattle-Bainbridge Island route during the shutdown.

Harris said a man drove up to the ticket booth about 10:30 a.m. and demanded, “‘Do I deserve to live?’

“Our ticket clerk said something like, ‘Huh?’ and the man said, ‘Do I deserve to live?’ Then he took off and drove through the barrier,” she said. The body of the man, who was alone in the van, was recovered by fire department divers within an hour and was taken to Stevens Memorial Hospital for examination.