State trooper finds snow-chain installer smoking pot near Snoqualmie Pass

A Bellevue chain installer was found smoking pot Thursday to pass the time as he waited to assist drivers with their snow chains near Snoqualmie Pass, according to the State Patrol.

The 27-year-old man was arrested for possession of marijuana and smoking a controlled substance, according to the State Patrol.

The man was parked off Interstate-90 in a truck with a 26-year-old Issaquah man, said Trooper Jeff Merrill. Both were permitted to help drivers install chains and were parked in a state-designated chain installation area, where vendors set up operations and charge a fee for chain assistance.

The installers waited in the truck for snowy conditions to set in. At about 2:30 p.m., when the forecast showed it wouldn't be snowing hard for a few hours, a trooper went by to tell them they should return later.

When the trooper arrived at the truck, he could see smoke coming out of it and noted it had a peculiar odor, said Merrill. The Bellevue man, who was smoking marijuana, sheepishly turned over a "substantial amount" of marijuana in a bag, said Merrill.

The other installer, who was asleep behind the wheel, was not found to be impaired and was released.

The Bellevue man was cited and has since been released, but both men are no longer permitted to install chains along the freeway.

Christina Siderius: csiderius@seattletimes.com