Dyami E. Cortez Obituary, Death: Vancouver Man Dies in Longview Crash Following Police Chase
Dyami E. Cortez Obituary, Death – A Vancouver man, Dyami E. Cortez, 22, was identified as the victim of a fatal crash that occurred following a police chase in Longview on May 17. Cortez died from blunt force trauma to the head, with his death being ruled an accident by the Cowlitz County Coroner. Emergency responders declared him dead at the scene of the crash, located near the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Ocean Beach Highway.
The incident began when a Longview police officer spotted an Impala speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. When the officer attempted to pull the driver over, the car failed to stop and continued heading eastbound on Ocean Beach Highway. According to Longview Police Captain Branden McNew, Cortez’s reckless driving caused several near-collisions before the car struck a curb and crashed into a Farmers Insurance building at 805 Ocean Beach Highway. The vehicle then flipped and landed upside down in the southbound lanes of Eighth Avenue.
Following the crash, a toxicology report from the Washington State Patrol revealed that Cortez had alcohol, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in his system at the time of the crash. Police also discovered that the Impala had been connected to a shoplifting incident earlier in the day in Woodland. Additionally, Cortez had active warrants for both felony and misdemeanor charges.
The crash caused significant damage to the Farmers Insurance building, a sign, a Cowlitz PUD transformer, and a streetlight. Despite the severity of the incident, Captain McNew confirmed that an internal review of the police pursuit found no violations of department policy or state law during the chase. The police department’s investigation into the pursuit concluded that the actions of officers involved did not breach any established guidelines.
The fatal crash serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with high-speed chases and impaired driving. It also highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement when dealing with suspects who refuse to pull over, leading to potentially deadly outcomes. The collision’s aftermath included significant damage to property, as well as the loss of life, which remains a source of sorrow for those affected by the incident.
