Arrest made in I-5 crash that killed 47-year-old Blaine motorcyclist

A 20-year-old Bellingham man was charged with vehicular homicide following a crash on I-5 in Ferndale that killed a 47-year-old Blaine motorcyclist and injured four people, including the driver, during the early morning hours of August 16. The man, who was suspected of driving under the influence, was booked and released from Whatcom County Jail the same day.

Collin Rene Cayo, 20, of Bellingham, was driving a 2005 Pontiac GTO when he entered southbound I-5 from Portal Way just after 2:30 a.m. August 16, according to a Washington State Patrol (WSP) news release. Cayo had two Ferndale residents, ages 18 and 20, in the Pontiac as well as an unidentified third passenger.

As the Pontiac was entering the highway, Blaine resident Evan L. Hayes, 47, was driving a 2006 Yamaha motorcycle southbound on I-5.

Cayo lost control of the Pontiac and struck the left side barrier, coming to rest in the lane, according to WSP. Hayes was unable to evade in time and struck the Pontiac. Hayes, who was wearing a helmet, and his motorcycle came to rest in the second lane, according to WSP.

Hayes was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died later that morning.

Cayo and two of his passengers were transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, according to WSP. The WSP report states it was unknown whether the third passenger sustained injuries and whether anyone in the vehicle was wearing seatbelts.

Drugs or alcohol are believed to have been involved in the accident, according to WSP.

Cayo was booked into Whatcom County Jail at 7:30 a.m. August 16 and released later that day after posting a $10,000 cash bond.

The 20-year-old passenger from Ferndale was also booked and released from jail that day on warrants for previous charges of violating a domestic violence protection order, driving with a suspended license and negligent driving, according to jail booking data.

As of August 21, the unknown passenger in the Pontiac has not been identified and the seatbelt usage in the vehicle remains unknown, WSP trooper Kelsey Harding wrote in an email toThe Northern Light.

Southbound I-5 was fully blocked after the collision until about 9 a.m. that morning, Harding wrote on social media.