WSP mourns the loss of Trooper Christopher M. Gadd, killed in the line of duty on Interstate 5

MARYSVILLE — The Washington State Patrol (WSP) and law enforcement agencies across the state are in mourning following the tragic death of Trooper Christopher M. Gadd, who was killed in the line of duty early Saturday morning on Interstate 5 near 136th Street North in Marysville. The incident, which took place just before 3 a.m., involved Gadd being struck by a motorist while Gadd was on the southbound lanes of I-5.

Trooper Gadd, aged 27, had been with the WSP for over two and a half years and is remembered as the 33rd member of the WSP to fall in the line of duty during the agency’s 103-year history. He leaves behind his wife, Cammryn, daughter Kaelyn, father (WSP Trooper David Gadd), mother Gillian, sister Jacqueline (currently serving with the Texas Department of Public Safety), and a wide circle of family, friends, and colleagues.

Born on September 28, 1996, in Pasco, Washington, Gadd graduated from Kentlake High School in Kent, Washington. He furthered his education at Green River College and Tacoma Community College, where he earned his Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) certification. Gadd and his wife Cammryn were married on January 11, 2020, and welcomed their daughter, Kaelyn Rebecca, on January 31, 2022.

Gadd began his career with the WSP on September 16, 2021, as a trooper cadet assigned to Grandview. He joined the 116th Trooper Basic Training Class (TBTC) on April 18, 2022, and graduated on November 16, later being assigned to serve in Marysville. His academic excellence at the academy earned him the Top Academic Award.

“Chris’s passing is a devastating loss to his family – a family who knows all too well the risks of public service but still has offered that service with unquestioned valor and now, unfathomable sacrifice,” said WSP Chief John R. Batiste. “I can tell you that across the entire Washington State Patrol, every head is bowed, every knee is bent, and every heart is broken as we mourn this loss. To honor Chris, even in sorrow, we will go on. We will continue to serve. Because he did, we must.”

The early morning incident involved a high-speed vehicle veering off I-5 and striking Trooper Gadd's parked vehicle. The suspect, a 32-year-old Lynnwood man, was arrested for vehicular homicide. A subsequent collision with a van resulted in non-life-threatening injuries to the van's driver, with passengers unharmed.

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office’s Collision Investigation Unit (CIU) is leading the ongoing investigation into the crash. The affected section of I-5 was closed for investigation.