Pedestrian killed in I-5 crash ID’d as 20-year-old Ridgefield man

Washington State Patrol identified the pedestrian killed in a Thursday night crash on Interstate 5 near La Center as a 20-year-old man from Ridgefield.

Billy N. Griffith was pronounced dead at the scene in the northbound lanes of the freeway at Milepost 17.3, according to a WSP crash memo.

Troopers have notified Griffith’s family of his death.

Lili Shi, 25, of Irvine, Calif., was northbound in a Mitsubishi Outlander SUV about 8:40 p.m. when she struck Griffith as he was crossing the freeway from west to east, troopers said.

Shi pulled over on the freeway beyond the crash, Trooper Will Finn told The Columbian on Thursday night. Her vehicle was reportedly totaled and towed from the scene.

All northbound lanes were closed while troopers investigated. Traffic was detoured at Exit 16 through downtown La Center into Woodland on the former Pacific Highway.

Finn issued a number of updates over Twitter, which included a report of a two-vehicle crash somewhere in the backed-up traffic. He said commercial vehicles traveling north were staged at the ilani casino parking lot until the freeway reopened.

Finn reported that all lanes were reopened around 12:30 a.m.

Troopers listed Griffith being in the roadway as the cause of the fatal crash. The memo says it’s unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors.

No charges have been filed against Shi.