A 35-year-old pilot was struck and left in winter conditions as investigators seek new leads.
POULSBO, WA – A Washington state air ambulance pilot walking back to a hotel after a weeklong shift was struck and killed in a hit-and-run, with the driver still unidentified more than a year later as officials renew a public appeal for information.
Robert Rathvon, 35, of Camano Island, had just completed a “weeklong rotation” as a Life Flight pilot and was traveling to visit his parents when he stopped in Poulsbo to rest and get dinner. After leaving a restaurant late at night, Rathvon was walking back to his hotel when he was hit along a State Route 3 off-ramp and left in snow and rain, according to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound.
“Somebody knows who did this,” Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound Executive Director Jim Fuda told MyNorthwest.com.
Investigators say Rathvon may have been unfamiliar with the area and headed in the wrong direction before ending up on the Finn Hill exit ramp.
Timeline of the night and discovery
“The night of his death, Rathvon had ended a weeklong rotation as a Life Flight pilot and was staying overnight at a local hotel,” Crime Stoppers reported. “He went out for dinner and walked back to his hotel before midnight, but it is believed he was unfamiliar with the area and headed in the wrong direction, resulting in him being on the Finn Hill exit ramp.”
Surveillance footage captured Rathvon walking in the Viking Way and Finn Hill area after midnight before he was struck by a vehicle along the off-ramp to Northwest Finn Hill Road. His body was not discovered until hours later.
“It was not until the sunrise in the morning that people saw his body beside the road and reported the incident,” according to Crime Stoppers.
“Nobody stopped for him,” Fuda said. “It was nighttime of December 8, and he wasn’t found until about 8 a.m. of the morning of December 9.”
Family speaks as reward grows
Rathvon’s family, working with Crime Stoppers, is now offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and charging of the driver.
His mother, Kathryn Rathvon, described the conditions that night as dangerous and disorienting. “Very dark, very foggy, very rainy and snowy,” she said, adding that the weather may have contributed to “confusion in terms of where he was.”
“The Medical Examiner said that he likely died within seconds and, as a parent, at least we know he wasn’t suffering on the side of the road,” Kathryn Rathvon said. “But it breaks our hearts that someone would hit him and run off, not even stop to see how he was.”
Despite the circumstances, she said the family is focused on accountability without anger. “Without even knowing what happened or who hit Rob, we know Rob would want us to forgive the person,” Kathryn Rathvon said. “And we do.”
Ongoing investigation and call for evidence
Authorities say they have received several tips since the December 2023 crash but have not identified a suspect. Investigators are asking anyone who was in the area between just before midnight on December 8 and 6 a.m. on December 9 to review dashcam footage.
Crime Stoppers also urged people to report vehicles that may have had damage consistent with the crash. “In addition, if you know anyone whose vehicle had damage to the front, expected to be on the passenger side of the front of the vehicle, or the hood and windshield, that information is valuable to detectives,” the organization said.
Officials continue to urge the public to come forward as the case remains open.
Washington hit and run, Robert Rathvon, Poulsbo crash, Life Flight pilot death, Crime Stoppers reward
