Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 12:30 p.m. 5/15/26 to reflect that the intersection reopened.

WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A person was killed and a man is in custody following a crash east of Ferndale.

Whatcom County Sheriff’s spokesperson Deb Slater said that deputies responded to the accident around 5:45 Thursday morning.

Witnesses said a driver speeding north on Northwest Ave blew through a stop sign at W Axton Rd and slammed into another vehicle. The second driver became entrapped in their car and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies found the initial driver, identified as a 28-year-old man, walking away from the crash scene with visible injuries. They later learned a car stolen from Bellingham matched the description of the car the suspect was driving.

The suspect was taken into custody and remains at the Whatcom County Jail without bail.

Deputies closed the intersection of W Axton and Northwest following the crash and it was reopened as of 6:30 p.m. Thursday.