'I knew I needed to go out' says blood donor marking anniversary of deadly Amtrak derailment
Three years ago on December 18, a speeding Amtrak Cascades train bound for Portland derailed near DuPont, Washington, and tumbled onto Interstate 5. The crash killed three passengers and injured scores of others. An Olympia woman marked the anniversary Friday by going back to her local blood donation center to achieve a related, but happier milestone.
On the morning of the Amtrak Cascades 501 derailment, Kaitlan Vasquez was getting ready to commute up I-5 to the therapist job she had at the time in Pierce County. She soon realized work would be a no-go when she flipped on the news, which was filled with reports about train cars dangling precariously over the freeway, rescue efforts and traffic gridlock.