Elderly WA Man Dies After Suspected DUI Driver Makes Illegal U-Turn

Elderly WA Man Dies After Suspected DUI Driver Makes Illegal U-Turn

A fatal crash occurred on State Route 20, south of Anacortes, Washington on the afternoon of March 5th, 2023 when a 26-year-old man made an illegal U-turn on the highway, and another vehicle was unable to stop to avoid a collision. 

Aptos, California resident Gregory Cloud was traveling north on a curved section of SR 20 in his 2001 Subaru when he attempted to make an illegal U-turn on a double-yellow line near Tibbles Lane.

At the same time, Dean Butz, 56, from East Wenatchee was driving south on SR 20 with two passengers in his 2014 Honda CRV when he spotted Cloud’s Subaru and immediately attempted to stop to avoid a crash. Ultimately, Butz struck Cloud’s vehicle on the rear passenger side. Both cars came to rest in the southbound lane and were later declared totalled.  

John E. Butz, 84, from Oak Harbor, and Maria Arevalo were passengers in the Honda CRV. Although both were wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision, John Butz sustained severe injuries in the accident. He was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. After almost two weeks fighting for his life, John succumbed to his accident injuries and passed away. Two other injury victims were transported to Island Hospital in Anacortes after the collision.

Gregory Cloud was arrested on March 14, 2023, and charged with vehicular assault in Skagit County. He was ordered not to operate any vehicle without an ignition interlock device. Washington State Patrol says drugs or alcohol may have been a factor in the fatal crash; the investigation is ongoing.