On a Sunday afternoon in Yakima, along Coolidge Road near South 76th Avenue, a moment of carelessness turned an ordinary drive into a collision that took a life and nearly took another. Susie Edler, 67, was lost, and her husband Dave, a former Mariners pitcher who later gave years of his life to public service in the city, now fights for his life at Harborview Medical Center. The man accused, 26-year-old Trevor Allen Stockton, has been charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, and alcohol impairment is suspected, though the courts have yet to confirm it. In a community where the E
Former Mariners Player Dave Edler Critically Injured in Yakima Crash That Killed His Wife Susie
Crews had to cut both victims from the crushed wreckage
Start with the basics. What do we actually know about what happened?
A westbound car crossed the center line on Coolidge Road around 4:30 Sunday and hit the Edlers' car head-on. Susie, 67, died at the hospital. Dave, 70, is in critical condition at Harborview.
And the other driver?
Trevor Allen Stockton, 26, of Yakima. He's charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, and bail was set at $75,000.
Careful with the alcohol piece, though. Police say impairment is suspected. Toxicology results haven't come back, so it isn't confirmed.
Why does Dave Edler's background matter here?
He's a former Mariner who played 126 games from 1980 to 1983, and he was Yakima's mayor from 2006 to 2010. He and Susie also led Yakima Foursquare Church for thirty years. People in the area know them.
Worth noting that the report says the judge drew attention to Stockton's cold reaction, but it doesn't say what that reaction was or who observed it. I'd treat it as a description from the hearing, not an established fact.
What's still open?
Toxicology, the court case, and Dave's recovery.
And the "high speed" claim comes from investigators, with no figure given.
Der Puls
- A westbound car crossed the center line at high speed on Coolidge Road and slammed head-on into the Edlers' eastbound vehicle just before 4:30 Sunday afternoon.
- Rescue crews had to cut Dave and Susie Edler from the crushed wreckage, and Susie died shortly after reaching the hospital.
- Dave Edler was airlifted to Harborview in Seattle, where he remains in critical condition with the outcome still uncertain.
- Trevor Allen Stockton, 26, was arrested at the scene and charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, with bail set at $75,000.
- Suspected alcohol impairment hangs over the case while official toxicology results are still pending, and everyone is watching the courtroom and Harborview for what comes next.
On a Sunday afternoon in Yakima, along Coolidge Road near South 76th Avenue, a moment of carelessness turned an ordinary drive into a collision that took a life and nearly took another. Susie Edler, 67, was lost, and her husband Dave, a former Mariners pitcher who later gave years of his life to public service in the city, now fights for his life at Harborview Medical Center. The man accused, 26-year-old Trevor Allen Stockton, has been charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, and alcohol impairment is suspected, though the courts have yet to confirm it. In a community where the Edlers were long known for faith and service, the loss lands as a reminder of how quickly a single decision can reach across a whole town.
Shortly before 4:30 on Sunday afternoon, a car traveling west on Coolidge Road in Yakima crossed the center line at high speed and struck an eastbound car head-on. Inside that eastbound car were Dave Edler, 70, a former Seattle Mariners player and former mayor of Yakima, and his wife Susie, 67. Emergency crews had to cut both of them from the crushed wreckage.
Susie Edler died shortly after reaching the hospital. Dave was stabilized and flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he remains in critical condition.
The other driver, Trevor Allen Stockton, 26, of Yakima, was taken into custody at the scene. Investigators suspect alcohol impairment played a direct role, and he now faces felony charges of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. At his first court appearance Monday, the judge set bail at $75,000. Official toxicology results are still pending, so the alcohol finding remains a suspicion for now.
Dave Edler is a familiar name across central Washington. He played college baseball at Washington State University, was drafted by the Mariners in 1978, and appeared in 126 games for the club between 1980 and 1983. He later served on the Yakima City Council and as mayor, and he and Susie spent three decades as pastoral leaders at Yakima Foursquare Church. Watch for the toxicology results, the court proceedings, and news of Dave's condition in Seattle.
Shortly before 4:30 on Sunday afternoon, a car heading west on Coolidge Road in Yakima, near South 76th Avenue, crossed the center line at high speed and struck an eastbound car head-on. The eastbound car carried Dave Edler, 70, a former Seattle Mariners player and former mayor of Yakima, and his wife, Susie, 67.
According to the Yakima Police Department, emergency crews had to cut both of them out of the crushed wreckage. They were taken to MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital with catastrophic injuries. Susie Edler died shortly after she arrived. Dave Edler was stabilized and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he remains in critical condition.
Authorities identified the other driver as Trevor Allen Stockton, 26, of Yakima. Officers took him into custody at the scene. Law enforcement says alcohol impairment is suspected as a direct factor in the collision. Prosecutors have formally charged him with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, both felonies.
Stockton made his first appearance Monday in Yakima County Superior Court. The judge set bail at $75,000. During the proceedings, attention was called to what was described as a cold reaction from Stockton after the crash. The source does not say what that reaction was. Investigators are still waiting on official toxicology results as they finish the case, so the alcohol finding remains a suspicion and not a confirmed result.
Dave Edler is a well-known figure in central Washington. He played college baseball at Washington State University, and the Mariners selected him in 1978. He appeared in 126 games for the club between 1980 and 1983.
After baseball he moved into public life. He served on the Yakima City Council from 2003 to 2006, then one term as mayor from 2006 to 2010. He and Susie also served for three decades as pastoral leaders at Yakima Foursquare Church.
What to watch next: the toxicology results, the court proceedings against Stockton, and word on Dave Edler's condition at Harborview.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Alcohol impairment is suspected to have been a direct factor in the wreck.— Yakima law enforcement