Officials identify body found while clearing North Cascades Highway
Officials released the identity of a man whose body was found as crews worked to clear the North Cascades Highway in late March.
The man was identified as 52-year-old King County resident William Summer, according to the Skagit County Coroner’s Office.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) responded to reports of a body discovered by a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) employee during seasonal cleaning in the area on March 20, in the seasonal closure between Ross Dam Trailhead and Silver Star Gate.
Summer was found on the side of the road near milepost 150, according to a release from the Washington State Patrol. He was not found near a vehicle, Trooper Kelsey Harding told The Bellingham Herald.
State Patrol detectives investigating the case are unaware of any missing person report issued for Summer, according to Harding.
It is unclear how long Summer had been dead before he was found. The cause and manner of Summer’s death are still under investigation, according to the Skagit County Coroner’s Office.
The North Cascades Highway, also known as State Route 20, connects Whatcom and Skagit counties with the Okanogan County destination towns of Winthrop and Twisp, along with hiking and other recreational opportunities in North Cascades National Park.
It’s the northernmost highway that crosses the Cascades Mountains in Washington state.
The highway is closed in late fall every year near Diablo on the west side and Mazama on the east side due to avalanche danger from the high slopes of Washington Pass and Rainy Pass.
It is scheduled to open at 10 a.m. on Friday after its winter closure.
