Columbus man Trooper Lewis-McChord died in an accident in Tacoma, Washington

TACOMA, Wa. (WTVM) – A Columbus man and Trooper Lewis-McChord died in a fatal two-vehicle crash Sunday morning in Tacoma, Washington.

Tommy Fairbairn, 29, of Columbus, was driving west with two other passengers on State Route 512 near Canyon Road East in the early hours of June 2, according to officials.

A wrong-way driver, identified as 23-year-old Candy Soita, hit the victim’s vehicle head-on. Fairbairn and Wendell Cerio, 22, of Arizona, died of their injuries at the scene. Both men were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Officials say the suspect driver is in custody on two counts of DUI vehicular homicide. She had a 19-month-old child in the car with her.

Fairbairn was a native of Columbus and a 2013 graduate of Shaw High School.

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