Fatal collision victim found along Highway 3 in Poulsbo identified as Camano Island man

Authorities identified Robert P. Rathvon, 35, of Camano Island, as the person who was found dead following a collision along a Highway 3 offramp in Poulsbo last weekend.

The Kitsap County Medical Examiner's Office said Rathvon died of blunt force trauma and said his manner of death was ruled to be an accident.

The Washington State Patrol is investigating the death. Rathvon's body was found on the shoulder of the northbound Highway 3 offramp at Finn Hill Road on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 9. No vehicle was found near the man's body, WSP Trooper Katherine Weatherwax said. Investigators said a vehicle-pedestrian collision occurred at some point during the hours of darkness Friday night, Dec. 8, into Saturday morning, Dec. 9.

Weatherwax said that tips have come in following a press release about the incident and said that those tips are being followed up on. She said that investigators believe the vehicle that struck the man may have been a "lower profile" vehicle based on where the man's leg was broken. Beyond that, no description of an involved vehicle has been released.

KING 5 reported that Robert Rathvon was an air ambulance pilot who had stopped in Poulsbo. His father, William Rathvon, said that Robert had gotten a room at the Poulsbo Inn & Suites — off Highway 305, across town from where his body would later be found — and had plans to go to a restaurant a few minutes away.

“We really need help understanding,” Robert's mother, Kathryn Rathvon, said. “I can't put it to rest, you know? It's so difficult to understand."

Anyone with information about the incident may contact WSP Detective Krista Hedstrom by phone at 360-731-1108 or by email at Krista.Hedstrom@wsp.wa.gov.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Fatal collision victim found on Highway 3 in Poulsbo identified