Trucker faces charges in accident that killed 2

Two counts of vehicular homicide have been filed against a logging-truck driver who investigators say was under the influence of methamphetamine when his truck dumped logs in front of a car carrying two area scientists.

State seismologist Anthony Qamar and scientist Daniel Johnson, who was working with Qamar, were killed in the October accident on Highway 101 north of Hoquiam.

After a six-month investigation, the Washington State Patrol said Garland Massingham of Centralia was driving an overloaded truck at an unsafe speed when the truck dumped logs in front of the car driven by Johnson.

Massingham's truck was 7,700 pounds over the legal weight said the troopers, who also examined bolts that secured the load and found they had failed, causing the logs to fall.

According to the charging documents filed by Grays Harbor Prosecutor H. Steward Menefee, a blood test from Massingham found he had methamphetamine in his system, far above levels that would be prescribed for medical use.

The documents say Massingham told investigators the road was curving to the right when he noticed the truck was leaning to the left. He said the truck was almost on its left side when the bolts holding the load broke, dumping logs onto the road.

Witnesses told investigators the truck was traveling at speeds of 70 miles per hour before entering the curve.

JB Leonard Logging of Chehalis, whose truck Massingham was driving, declined to comment on the charges. Massingham could face nearly 3 ½ years in prison if convicted.

A hearing is set for May 15 in Grays Harbor County Superior Court in Montesano.

Deputy Prosecutor Gerald Fuller said Massingham told investigators he initially didn't know he'd hit the car because it was buried under his load of logs. The car was pushed off the road into trees.

The two scientists had been on their way to the Olympic Peninsula to collect instruments and data concerning an earthquake off the Washington coast.

Troopers said the truck was taken out of service a year ago because of an equipment violation, a faulty brake hose. JB Leonard was investigated by the state Department of Labor and Industries and fined $500 for other violations.

Earlier this month L & I filed two citations against Leonard. One was for loading trucks above the legal limit, and the other was for not assuring trucks with defective parts were taken out of service.

L & I looked at records of the truck involved in the accident in the week before the fatalities and found it had been overloaded on 15 of 16 loads.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com