Multiple car crashes overnight leave two troopers dead in Tacoma – KIRO 7 News Seattle

According to Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo, the route was closed for investigation after two people were killed.

Trooper Dattilo described the circumstances of the accident and said: “This collision occurred because a wrong-way driver collided head-on with another vehicle. The two dead victims were both from the vehicle involved in the accident. The driver who caused the accident is in custody for two counts of negligent homicide while under the influence of alcohol.”

According to the trooper, a third occupant from the crash victim’s car was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and a toddler who was in the car that caused the crash was uninjured. The Puyallup Police Department and WSDOT Tacoma assisted with the road closure during the investigation, and by 10 a.m. the road was reopened.

Minutes after the first accident was reported, WSDOT Tacoma reported another accident on northbound Interstate 5 near South 56th Street. Initially, only three lanes were closed, but shortly thereafter, all northbound lanes were blocked.

According to Trooper Dattilo, this collision was caused by a wrong-way driver who collided head-on with another car. A passenger in the victim’s car sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver who caused the accident was arrested for assault while under the influence of alcohol.

By 7 a.m. the police had cleared the road and reopened the motorway.

At around 4:30 a.m., an accident was reported on southbound Interstate 5 near the Interstate 705 interchange, and crews from the Washington State Patrol and Tacoma Fire Department responded.

Trooper Datillo told drivers to expect an extended closure as Tacoma Police had closed the road for an investigation.

According to the trooper, a car traveling the wrong way collided head-on with a small SUV and the driver was arrested for driving under the influence. After the first crash, another car traveling northbound came to the scene and struck one of the occupants of the victim’s car. That occupant was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.

According to police, the third car stopped and cooperated with the investigation. The road was reopened to travelers around 10 a.m.