‘Our crazy Carl.’ Family awaits answers 6 months after Tacoma man killed by car

TACOMA – Carl Petersen, 62, died doing what he loved.

The night of Jan. 20, Petersen and his friend Gilbert Fowler, 64, were heading back to Fowler’s house after visiting a mutual friend who lived close by. They were riding motorized skateboards.

Petersen was killed when they were struck by a car at the intersection of Tacoma Avenue South and South 86th Street around 11:30 p.m., according to a police traffic collision report. Fowler was rushed to the hospital, where, he later told the News Tribune, he remained in a coma for several days.

The car drove away, and the Tacoma Police Department began investigating the case as a hit-and-run. Police have yet to make any arrests, though spokesperson Sgt. John Correa wrote in an email Tuesday that police are pursuing several open leads.

“The detective assigned to this case has been working to gather and review all available evidence, including the crime lab results,” Correa wrote. “This effort has recently led to the identification of a person of interest, which now requires further coordination with additional investigative resources.”

Responding to a question about the length of the investigation, which has spanned six months, Correa wrote that “it’s important to understand that criminal investigations are thorough and methodical by design.”

“This deliberate process helps ensure the integrity of the investigation, so that when a suspect is ultimately taken into custody, the case is well-supported and justice can be served effectively,” he wrote.

According to Correa, the detective spoke with Petersen’s family a few weeks ago and “will continue to reach out with updates as credible information becomes available.”

The long wait for answers has weighed heavily on Petersen’s friends and family members, who shared their frustration with the News Tribune in the months following his death.

His sister, Kathleen Petersen, told the News Tribune that the family fears they’ll never get any answers. They just want those responsible for his death to be held accountable, she said, and she believes her brother would have forgiven them. A reporter spoke with Kathleen, her sister Karen Petersen and their mother Colleen Jewell on May 21.

The three described Carl as a musician, an adventure seeker and a person known for his compassion, readiness to forgive and charismatic personality.

“He loved everybody, and everybody loved him,” Karen Petersen said.

The family also lost another member, Jewell’s oldest daughter, Brenda Petersen, in a car accident several decades ago.

“You can’t have enough children to replace anyone,” said Jewell, holding back tears. “My first and my last, the Lord took because they were only on loan to me anyway. I didn’t own them. They were just loaned to me by the Lord and he saw that they proved me to be proud of them.”

A public memorial will be held for Carl Petersen on Saturday at 2 p.m. at 12610 Gilling Lane SE in Yelm. Attendees are asked to RSVP and bring a side dish to share potluck-style.

Though police described the two men as riding on “scooters” when the News Tribune reported the wreck, Gilbert Fowler said he and Petersen were actually riding on motorized skateboards that Fowler engineered.

The night of Jan. 20, the two had been fixing up Petersen’s board at a friend’s house and were on their way back to Fowler’s place when the car hit them.

“I guess the car just struck my legs, and the bumper and the fenders struck my legs and shattered them,” Fowler said.

What actually happened is a blank to him, but he later woke up from a coma to someone telling him he’d been hit by a car, he said.

Fowler said he stayed in the hospital for two months, had to have toes amputated and got metal rods in his legs. He’s unable to walk without assistance, he told the News Tribune.

Fowler’s daughter started a GoFundMe campaign to help fund a remodel of Fowler’s home, making it more accessible for him with his injuries. The campaign has since raised more than $7,000.

Fowler said riding a motorized skateboard had been Petersen’s dream since he was in fourth grade. Petersen couldn’t build the board himself, but he knew Fowler could. He brought a box of parts, gave him a few specifications and asked if he could put it together, according to Fowler.

After three tries and persuading Petersen to give up an old go-kart frame in his garage that would make it possible to steer the skateboard, Fowler succeeded, he said.

He knew how much Petersen loved riding it. Sometimes, they’d be riding their skateboards together and Fowler would look over and see Petersen tearing up, he said. He’d ask Petersen what was wrong.

“I’m just having a moment,” Petersen would reply.

Friends and family remember their ‘Crazy Carl’

Petersen’s sisters and mother said Petersen was an adventure seeker.

Besides skateboarding, he loved riding dirt bikes and Harley Davidsons, according to a eulogy drafted for his memorial that Karen Petersen shared with the News Tribune.

“If it had a motor, Carl was on it,” the eulogy reads. “Chances are, if it didn’t have a motor, he would figure out a way to get one on there.”

He was also passionate about music and had a voice “like Elvis Presley,” Karen Petersen said. “He was amazing.”

Petersen played various instruments, including harmonica, guitar, piano and bagpipes, and also had several friends who played in bands, according to his sisters.

“They would all jam out at Carl’s place,” Kathleen Petersen said.

He liked all kinds of music, from rock ’n’ roll to heavy metal to folk, according to Kathleen Petersen. He also started getting into Christian music, according to Karen Petersen.

“My brother loved Yahweh, Yeshua,” Kathleen Petersen said. “And he had no qualms of telling you that … his whole personality, you could tell, the light was there in my brother.”

“He went to the Tacoma Mall one time and told the security guard there that he was going to be pretty loud,” Karen Petersen added. ” … and so he proceeded to (say), at the top of his lungs, ‘Can I get a Hallelujah?’ And it just echoed in the whole mall, and people started saying, ‘Hallelujah.’

“He was such a character. Nobody will ever meet anybody like Carl.”