A 38-year-old Blaine man has been arrested for second-degree murder after allegedly driving into a Lynden school bus and killing the driver, Annette Lyon. The incident occurred in May of this year. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail on August 8 and released on a $250,000 appearance bond later that afternoon.
Samuel Peter Swanson, 38, had sent several texts to a friend stating he had suicidal thoughts the night before the crash, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in Whatcom County Superior Court. The next day, on May 1, Swanson drove a white 2019 Ford Escape head-on into a Lynden school district bus in the 2000 block of Main Street in Lynden, near the Lynden Door company. Lyon was declared dead at the scene, according to court records.
Lynden Police Department discovered that Swanson was traveling 77 miles per hour at the time of impact, and five seconds prior was driving 86 miles per hour in the 35 mile-per-hour area. Lyon was driving 32 miles per hour and didn’t have time to brake before the crash, according to the police investigation.
Swanson was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham to be treated for broken bones.
Lynden Police Department’s affidavit of probable cause was dated May 22. The Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office then charged Swanson with second-degree murder on August 8, the day he was arrested and released from jail. Erik Sigmar, the chief criminal deputy prosecuting attorney assigned to the case, wrote in an email to The Northern Light that the prosecutor’s office coordinated with Swanson’s counsel and others involved in the case to have him booked into jail when he was medically discharged. “The jail is not equipped to book or house people with serious injuries that required extensive medical care,” Sigmar wrote.
The Northern Light was unable to reach Swanson’s counsel, Jason Powers, who is a criminal defense attorney in Skagit County, for a comment. Swanson’s arraignment was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, August 15.
The state requested the court not allow Swanson to drive or possess firearms, but the defense asked that driving be allowed between rehabilitation treatments. The court granted the defense’s motion.
Lyon, 62, was born in the town of Murrhardt in southeast Germany and immigrated to the U.S. in 2009, according to a public obituary. She was survived by her two sons, Jake, of Everson, and Jordan, of Germany, along with two sisters in Everson and a brother in Germany. She was known for her humor, wit and compassion.
“Annette was respected and loved by everyone. She was generous, forgiving, and humble,” according to her obituary. “Above all, she loved her job as a school bus driver and cherished the kids that rode with her.”
