Community Police & Fire Transportation

Driver in fatal Highway 16 crash charged with vehicular homicide

Witnesses told Washington State Patrol troopers that a 54-year-old Federal Way woman appeared to be driving over 100 mph in the wrong lane of Highway 16 when she struck and killed a 30-year-old Shelton woman on Oct. 7 near Rosedale Street.

Prosecutors charged the suspect, Mecca K. Berkins, with vehicular homicide in Pierce County Superior Court on Oct. 9. 

Washington State Patrol identified the woman who died as Alicia A. Perrin, 30, of Shelton. 

Perrin died at the scene, according to court documents.

A state trooper responded to the collision shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. A male witness told the trooper that he and Perrin were riding motorcycles to a casino when they encountered a car driving west in the eastbound lanes of Highway 16 near the Rosedale overpass. He told the trooper the car appeared to be going “well over 100 mph.”

The man dodged the speeding wrong-way car, but told the trooper it seemed to be “aiming” for Perrin.

The trooper detected an “obvious odor of intoxicants” inside Berkins’ vehicle. While Berkins denied drinking that night, the trooper noted that her eyes were bloodshot and she slurred her words.

Responders initially took Berkins to St. Joseph Medical for evaluation and a blood draw. Toxicology results were pending as of Oct. 9.

Berkins remains in the Pierce County Jail with bail set at $500,000.