Updated on: 11/20/2019
The Washington State Patrol is asking people who witnessed these crashes to come forward and speak with officers about what they saw. Call (360) 596-4000 or the number for your local district office to give your witness statement to officers.
1 dead in rollover crash
Location: Interstate 5 near State Route 516 in Kent
Time: Approximately 11:30 p.m. on Friday, March 17th, 2017
Accident description: This motor vehicle collision began when the driver of a Buick Park Avenue sedan apparently lost control and hit the guardrail on the left side of the highway. The Buick flipped and landed on its roof in the median. A woman was ejected from the vehicle and thrown into the northbound lanes of Interstate 5, where she was struck by several other vehicles.
A white Volkswagen Jetta traveling on Interstate 5 swerved to avoid the woman in the road and rolled over onto its right side.
Injuries:
- The woman who was ejected from the Buick died.
- The driver of the Volkswagen sustained minor injuries. Three people who had been in the Buick sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigation: Detectives are not yet sure who was driving the Buick. They obtained search warrants and performed blood draws for all of the surviving occupants of the Buick; all showed signs of intoxication. One was booked into jail on an outstanding felony warrant.
Car plummets from I-5 in hit-and-run crash
The damaged vehicle that fell 30 feet into a parking lot. Image source: Q13 Fox
Location: Interstate 5 near Spokane Street
Time: Approximately 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 21st, 2017
Accident description: A vehicle that was traveling on Interstate 5 at a high rate of speed apparently lost control and crashed into a gold Chevrolet Tahoe. The Chevrolet tipped over the right barrier of the freeway, fell 30 feet, and landed in a parking lot owned by the Seattle Department of Transportation.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the Chevrolet continued southbound on Interstate 5 and left the scene of the accident. It has been described as a dark four door sedan.
Injuries:
- The driver of the Chevrolet Tahoe was transported to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.
- It is unknown whether the driver of the dark sedan sustained injuries in the crash.
Investigation: Police are searching for the dark four door sedan. If the driver is found, he or she will likely be charged with felony hit-and-run.